The Hamilton boys cross country team won their own invitational on Thursday at the Hamilton Golf Course. The Broncs had the top five finishers in the race, and had two more in the top 10. Lane Cole ran the course in 17:17.66 to take the win. He was followed by Colter Purcell, Colter Kirkland, Harrison Silverio, and Zachary Kunkel.
As with all of the races this fall, this meet was run in ‘waves’. About 10 to 12 runners are in each group. The groups are determined by the runner’s previous times with the slower runners taking the course first. This year, both boys and girls run together. This can be good but sometimes it’s tougher for the top girl runners. If they were running with only girls, the faster girls are not pushed as much but by running with boys with similar ties, they are pushed.
Brynnli Poulson has not been challenged much this year unless she is running against the boys. Hamilton’s Poulson won the women’s race with a time of 19:04.42, almost 90 seconds faster than second place Olivia Buoy of Corvallis. She would have placed 13th if she were racing against the boys. She said this helps her keep her focus because she isn’t out front by herself.
Corvallis won the team scoring with Hamilton finishing second. Other Blue Devils who finished in the top 10 were Katie Gleason in third, Laurie Davidson in fourth, Anna Jessop in sixth, and Jessica Venema in 10th.
Stevensville’s Katlyn Potter finished fifth. Madison Ward of Hamilton and teammate Ryanne Childe were eighth and ninth, respectively.