As any season winds down, athletes seek to reach peak performance. For Mansfield freshman Joey Williams that phase seems to be clicking at just the right time.
Williams, Mansfield’s most decorated male cross country runner in several seasons, took his third consecutive victory to close out the regular season. In a show of strong will and efficient preparation, the Tiger distance runner took top honors in the small school divisional race at Van Buren on Saturday.
In a two mile time of 11:23.68, Williams set a personal record for that distance as he bettered 273 total runners across all classifications at the Van Buren annual event. Sixty-nine of those participants were from the small school ranks of which Williams was the top cat. The others were from the 5A-6A ranks. Only three runners from big school Fayetteville finished before the Mansfield freshman to win their big school ratings.
“Joey was motivated to win”, said Mansfield coach John Mackey. “The weather was cool and he really wanted to set the standard. There was tons of talent in the race and he went for the win.”
Williams in the last three races has seen victory. He was the overall champion in Waldron and Acorn within the past 11 days. Then on Saturday although not the overall champion, he was the small school champ and top four overall in the second largest race the Tigers have encountered this season.
As a team Mansfield’s junior boys took home the second place team prize. West Fork won the team title for the 1A-4A grouping with three runners in the top 10.
Gunner Williams took home a medal for the Tigers at ninth place. Freshman Jonah Martin missed out on a Top 15 score by 6 seconds. Holden Powers and Braxton Bartlett completed the scoring five for the junior Tigers.
A similar lineup for Mansfield also took home the second place team plaque in Acorn on Tuesday. Joseph Carter supplanted Martin in the scoring five as the Tigers’ top five all medaled.
Acorn was the relocated venue for the Magazine Rattler Run. Due to a rescheduled football game that interfered with the time and place of the annual Rattler race, Acorn volunteered to host the cross country meet for Magazine.
Mansfield senior girls also took second place at the Rattler Run. They were unable to send a scoring five to Van Buren due to a conflict with a choir trip. Had the senior team sent their full squad, another trophy trip was most likely the outcome.
Laney Wood, Jadelynn Wood, and Raine Hecox all finished inside the top 15 small school runners at Van Buren. Sophomore Trinity Triska followed at 16th.
Laney Wood posted her season best at the Pointer Trail with a 22:50.93 mark along the 5K distance. The measure placed the younger of the Wood sisters in fourth place.
Jadelynn Wood came in at a little more than a minute behind her rival sibling. That mark still placed her sixth in the 1A-4A division.
Jadelynn posted the best Tiger time for the senior girls at Acorn. Her 24:06.50 measure was her best effort this season.
Mansfield placed Jadelynn Wood, Laney Wood, Raine Hecox, Addie Bowman, and Ashley Martin for a scoring five at the Rattler.
Hecox bettered her 5K time by a minute and 31 seconds from Tuesday’s race to Saturday’s race.
“Raine has been full time cross country over the last few weeks,” stated Mackey. “Consistency in practice has made a significant difference in outcomes.”
Mansfield had two outstanding performances by Rylan Jones, their up and coming junior girl front runner. Jones, just a seventh grader, was second at Acorn and sixth at Van Buren.
“So proud of Rylan’s progress,” confessed the longtime MHS coach. “She has been listening well, and taking practice to the race. She’s understanding pace and has been willing to hurt to move up in the standings. She has a real chance to be the conference champion.”
Jones, Riley Elmore, and Lilly Young all made the medal stand for Tuesday’s effort. Jones was the only Mansfield junior girl to reach the high rankings on Saturday.
Jones completed the two mile Van Buren course in 14:14.33. Among 206 runners in the junior girls race, she was sixth against small school runners and tenth overall.
Sophomore Austin Ruiz came away with his first cross country individual award after coming over from basketball off-season. Ruiz claimed the top 20 medal with a 20:46.50 time at Acorn on Tuesday.
