The Oak Ridge boys cross country team finished first at the A.F. Bridges Cross Country Invitational in Nashville on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016. From left are Asher Chance, Reid Dukes, Christian Borden, Will Jeter, Jacob Etheridge, Jose Villegas, and Dalton Morgan. (Photo courtesy Allen Etheridge)
The Oak Ridge boys cross country team finished first in its first meet of the season. Oak Ridge Coach Allen Etheridge called it a great start.
Oak Ridge senior Jacob Etheridge was third in the boys 5k (5,000-meter) run, and the Wildcats had four runners in the top 10. Besides Etheridge, they were Reid Dukes (8th place), Dalton Morgan (9th), and Will Jeter (10th).
The A.F. Bridges Cross Country Invitational was in Nashville on Saturday. The Oak Ridge girls finished third.
Georde Goodwyn of Knoxville Catholic finished first in the boys high school race with a time of 17:02.11. Josiah Harp of Central Hardin was second at 17:06.91.
Etheridge was about four seconds behind Harp at 17:10.86.
Here are results for the other top seven Oak Ridge runners:
- Dukes (8th)—18:03.47
- Morgan (9th)—18:04.58
- Jeter (10th)—18:08.46
- Christian Borden (13th)—18:24.78
- Jose Villegas (20th)—18:51.19
- Asher Chance (44th)—19:49.53
Coach Etheridge said the boys ran well.
“It was nearly 90 (degrees) when they ran, so we had them run really conservatively,” he said. “This course has no shade, so it’s a killer if it’s hot and you get out too hard. Jake (Etheridge) was strong, and had he not run off the course near the end of the race, he’d have had second. You do funny stuff when you’re tired, but you’re running fast. He’s at a whole other level from last year after running a ton of miles this summer.
“Our pack was strong—that’s going to work for us this year.”
Coach Etheridge said Dukes, a senior who finished eighth, is racing better, and Morgan, who finished ninth, has come on strong.
Villegas, a junior who finished 20th, doesn’t feel like he did last year when he ran so fast, Etheridge said.
“Something is going on with him physically that we need to figure out,” Etheridge said.
The good news: “This was our first meet, and we have plenty of time,” Etheridge said. “Great start.”
The Oak Ridge High School boys team finished first with a total of 39 points (in cross country, a lower score is better), and an average time of 17:58.43.
Knoxville Catholic finished second with a total of 70 points, and an average time of 18:15.94. Mt. Juliet was third at 74 points, with an average time of 18:29.84.
The Wildcats race again next week at the Cherokee Classic in Knoxville on Saturday, September 17, at 9 a.m.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
See the results of the A.F. Bridges Invitational here.
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