The Wayland girls’ cross-country team got the 2016 season off to a flying start by claiming first place in the Wayland Invitational Friday.
The Lady Wildcats scored 46 team points, followed by last year’s champ, Hamilton, with 56, two points ahead of Hopklns. Byron Center had 69 and Allegan 140.
The boys’ team, in new coach Ray Antel’s debut, had to settle for sixth place while the Hopkins boys were fourth, in a race won by East Grand Rapids.
Wayland’s depth proved to be the difference i9n the girls’ race. Despite not having a runner place among the top three, coach Sue Brewer’s gang of harriers captured fourth, sixth, 11th, 12th and 13th. Junior Maggie Whitney led the parade with a fourth in 21:50.6, Kaitlyn Paul was sixth 22:29.82, Payton Sidebotham was 11th in 23:4.81, Emily Gray (the only senior among the top five) was 12th in 23:42.51 and Zoe Antel 13th in 23:47.85.
Just for added insurance, senior Wildcat Emily Isenhoff took 14th place.
Erika Freyhof of Hamilton recaptured her Wayland Invitational title from a year ago and was the only runner to break 20 minutes on the grueling Wayland course, at 19:21.75. Freyhof was Division 2 individual state champion last year.
Hopkins sophomore Laura Velderman, 10th in the Division 3 state meet last fall and regional champion, was runner-up Saturday at 21:00.66, ahead of Freyhof’s sister, Audrey in third.
Viking sophomore Jasmine Fisher checked in fifth at 22:05.02 and sophomore teammate Emma Helder was ninth in 23:25.29. Hopkins senior Madison Snoeyink was 10th in 23:33.65 and Alyssa Rausch was recorded at 32nd.
Sophomore Dan Rausch was the top Hopkins finisher in the guys’ competeition, taking 13th in 19:32.46, followed by freshman Todd Henley, 15th in 19:36.22; junior Ethan Nagel 24th in 20:15.24, senior Nick Belka, 38th in 21:55.24 and sophomore Joe Ludlam, 50th in 22:58.92.
Senior Jonathan Zuiderveen was 28th for Wayland in 20:24.57, Ethan Killips was 39th, freshman Garret Kloksa 55th, freshman Steve Mosher 61st and freshman Ian Russell 62nd.
The Wildcats will be running in the Kelloggsville Rocket Invitational Thursday, Aug. 25, at the South Christian Sports Complex.
PHOTO: The Wayland girls opened their 2016 cross-country season in style, using superior depth to claim the championship in the Wayland Cross-Country Invitational.