Members of the Eastern High School boys cross country team pose with their award after winning this year’s Jim Neu Cross Country Invitational held at Western Brown High School on Sept. 5.

 

Western Brown’s Easterling finishes first of 113 runners – 

By Wade Linville – 

The Eastern Warriors lacked one of their top runners, Logan Lainhart, while competing in the annual Jim Neu Cross Country Invitational held at Western Brown High School on Tuesday, but that didn’t stop them from finishing in first place among 10 full teams to win the high school boys race.
The Warriors would finish the race with a team score of 70, barely topping the runner-up Western Brown Broncos who finished with a team score of 72.
In the final quarter-mile of the high school boys race, it was Western Brown’s Chase Easterling leading the way with Miami Valley Christian Academy’s Will Stewart on his heels. In an exciting sprint to the finish line, it was Easterling holding on for first place with a time of 17:16.61, while Stewart placed second with a finish time of 17:16.84.
Leading the Eastern Warriors to the finish line was Cy Young, who placed fourth on the field of 113 runners with a time of 17:52.42.
Eastern’s Garyn Purdy posted a finish time of 18:25.20 to place 11th overall, and the third Eastern runner to reach the finish line was Dustin Jimison, placing 15th overall with a time of 18:41.44.
Eastern’s Ian Wiles ran for a 22nd place finish with a time of 18:57.19, and rounding out Eastern’s top five was Landyn Pickerill, who finished 23rd overall with a time of 18:58.25.
Running for a 12th place finish was Western Brown’s A.J. Hurt with a time of 18:29.41, and the third Bronco to reach the finish line was Brandon Hammersley with a time of 18:47.45.
Western Brown’s Sean Holland placed 20th overall with a time of 18:52.73, and rounding out the Broncos’ top five was Blake Hurt, who placed 24th with a time of 18:59.13.
The Georgetown G-Men finished fifth of 10 teams in the high school boys race, led to the finish line by Tanner Ellis, who placed sixth overall with a time of 18:01.96.
Georgetown’s Emerson Cahall ran for a 14th place finish with a time of 18:40.04, while teammate Joshua Galley placed 16th overall with a time of 18:42.04.
The fourth G-Man to cross the finish line was Garrett Ernst with a time of 20:10.77, and rounding out the G-Men’s top five was Finn Tomlin, who placed 46th with a time of 20:28.29.

HS BOYS TEAM RESULTS
1. Eastern 70
2. Western Brown 72
3. New Richmond 91
4. Batavia 96
5. Georgetown 112
6. Felicity-Fr. 136
7. Blanchester 185
8. Bethel-Tate 204
9. Goshen 219
10. East Clinton 288

In high school girls cross country action, it was the New Richmond Lady Lions winning this year’s Jim Neu Invite with a team score of 59, while the Eastern Lady Warriors finished runner-up with a score of 74.
It was New Richmond’s Jenna Burns leading all runners to the finish line with a winning time of 19:21.98.
Leading the Eastern Lady Warriors to a runner-up finish was Camryn Pickerill, who placed fourth on the field of 68 runners with a finish time of 21:50.53.
Eastern’s Loralei Young placed 12th overall with a finish time of 23:37.65, and it was Eastern’s Emily Fannin running for a 16th place finish with a time of 24:06.11.
Eastern’s Emma Brown placed 17th with a finish time of 24:21.92, and rounding out the Lady Warriors’ top five was Abby Gillispie, who placed 44th with a finish time of 28:06.90.
The Georgetown Lady G-Men finished in sixth place of seven full teams in the high school girls race.
The Lady G-Men were led to the finish line by Kati Colwell, who placed sixth overall with a time of 22:54.09.
Georgetown’s Olivia Waits ran for an 18th place finish with a time of 24:24.39, and the third Lady G-Man to reach the finish line was Allyson McHenry, who placed 25th with a time of 25:25.56.
Georgetown’s Grace Burrows placed 33rd with a finish time of 26:18.79, and rounding out the Lady G-Men’s top five was Diana Stanze, who placed 58th with a time of 31:54.06.
The Western Brown Lady Broncos lacked enough runners to compete as a full team, but had some individual runners to perform well in the high school girls race.
Western Brown’s Amanda Woodyard placed 13th overall with a time of 23:55.91, and the second Lady Bronco to reach the finish line was Aliesha Smith, who placed 21st with a time of 24:52.40.
Western Brown’s Maddy Whisman placed 22nd with a time of 24:54.31, while Western Brown’s Allexa Temple placed 32nd with a finish time of 26:16.47.

HS GIRLS TEAM RESULTS
1. New Richmond 59
2. Eastern 74
3. Bethel-Tate 84
4. Goshen 98
5. Batavia 98
6. Georgetown 107
7. Felicity-Fr. 132

The junior high girls team of Eastern Middle School placed first of seven teams in this year’s Jim Neu Invite, led to the finish line by Emma Moran, who placed runner-up with a time of 13:44.87. Winning the two-mile, middle school girls race was Miami Valley Christian Academy’s Avery Stewart with a time of 12:36.39.
Caleb Ware, of Mt. Orab Middle School, won the two-mile, middle school boys race with a finish time of 11:51.09, while it was the team of Eastern Middle School placing first in this year’s Jim Neu Invite with a score of 75. Eastern was led by Avery Reynolds, who placed runner-up with a time of 12:12.39. Little Miami finished runner-up with a team score of 76.
Mt. Orab finished third in team competition with a score of 80.