Mansfield hosted over 700 athletes for the Mansfield Invitational Cross Country on September 29. Pictured above, is the start of the Junior girls race.
Mansfield had a busy week of sports. With home volleyball, homecoming football, and host cross country duties, it was a full schedule of activity this past seven day stretch for the Tigers.
On Saturday morning, September 29, the Tigers welcomed 29 registered teams and 728 registered athletes to the 15th annual Mansfield Invitational.
“We are used to big events around here,” said meet director John Mackey. “This was just a fun way to end a busy week of Tiger athletics.”
Mansfield’s younger teams made the most noise during the four race schedule. Both the junior high girls and boys teams finished in second place in the small school divisional matchup.
The Tiger senior high girls also earned a second place team award but were denied individual medal status among the large field of competitors.
Faith Rainwater, Shelby Cole, Ethan Chapman, Steven Perez, and Mikeal Harrison all made the medal stand within their junior high grouping.
Rainwater was fourth in the 1A-3A girls race. Her time was 13:07.53 for the 3K distance.
Cole was tenth. She moved up in the Tiger ranks landing as the team’s number two scorer. Her finish was 13:56.33.
Chapman stood on top of the award boxes as the number three runner in the 1A-3A junior boys 3K event. Perez was seventh while Mikeal Harrison was ninth.
Chapman clocked in a 10:58.95 along the 3k junior course. Perez came across at 11:32.43. Harrison closed strong at 11:47.43.
West Fork, a new league foe because of this year’s reclassification, won both championship trophies in the junior high ranks.
Alyssa Berry was Mansfield’s top scorer in the senior women’s race. She was 18th among the small school 5K racers. Her time was 26:40.5.
Jessie George, also of Mansfield, produced a 20th place crossing. Her time dropped to a season best 27:41.66.
Artem Zirka, an Ukrainian exchange student, was the Tiger men’s best finisher. He was 14th overall in the lower division with a 21:44.59 measurement.
Tiger teammate Renden Emery was 25th. His timed slowed a bit from last week as he posted a mark of 24:03.62.
Mansfield junior girls completed their scoring with strong production from Olivia Bouse, Harleigh Mars, and McKenzie Griffin. Jadelynn Wood and Hope Rainwater served as first blockers.
The Tiger junior boys scored with John Branche and Tommy Phang rounding out their top five. Ashton Hinkle was the only blocker.
Addison Goetz ran her season best for the Lady Tiger women. The junior class runner produced a 29:19.13 mark to finish as the third ranked runner for the MHS senior high squad.
Josefin Lofving and Anina Ruetter rounded out the Lady Tiger senior high score. Janna Coplin was the lone blocker.
Collectively Mansfield earned 36 points for a runner-up plaque in the senior girls race. Lavaca took the team championship with 19 points.
Bentonville West won the senior high girls and boys races in the class 4A-6A division. Greenwood won the big school junior high races for both gender groups.
Mansfield’s other runners in competition at the event included Alyssa James, Raine Hecox, Darby Jones, Heidi Ebarb, Lita Hecox, Eden Mounts, and Lauren Poston.
