By Chris Parker
Spokane’s Sam Shuman led wire-to-wire to claim the individual championship at the Class 2 State Cross Country Meet on Friday.
Shuman opened up with a 3:01.7 first kilometer before rattling off times of 3:05.4, 3:24.5, 3:13.3 and 3:18.9 over the next four kilometers on his way to a finish time of 16:03.6. He was 12 seconds better than the runner-up Nathan Hinrichs from New Bloomfield.
Shuman’s teammate Grant Stewart finished fifth overall to help the Owls to a fifth place finish as a team. Audric May (43rd), Garrett Winslow (127th) and Christian Cooper (130th) rounded out the scoring for Spokane.
Stockton earned a fourth place finish as a team to get on the podium. They were paced by Colby Adams (19th place – 17:20.3) and Braden Postlewait (21st place – 17:22.6). Dakota Duncan (40th), Max Brown (41st) and Tyler Johnson (94th) rounded out the scoring for Stockton.
New Covenant’s Tanner Talley (4th place – 16:32) and Pleasant Hope’s Zane Hull (10th place – 16:54.5) gave the area four of the top 10 individuals in this class.
Conway’s Trey Earls (15th), Seymour’s Bryson Benson (20th) and Hartville’s Bryce Coday (22nd) all earned all-state honors by finishing in the Top 25.
Hartville finished eighth as a team while New Covenant was 10th in the team competition.
In the girls’ race, Licking’s Kasey Richards was the top area finisher in fifth place with a time of 20:27.4. That was one spot ahead of Skyline’s Justine Barb. Summit Prep’s Alexis Workman (8th) and Spokane’s Madison King (9th) also finished in the top 10.
Mansfield’s Skylar Adams (14th), Spokane’s Lily Hunsucker (17th) and Hartville’s Clemmie Taylor (24th) also earned all-state honors.
Mansfield was the top team in the area finishing 10th overall. Sparta was 11th with Thayer finishing 14th and Stockton 15th.
