Lion runners prepare for district meet

The Lockhart Boy”s Cross Country team traveled to San Gabriel Park in Georgetown on Saturday morning, Oct. 15, to run in the Georgetown Invitational. The meet was the fourth race of the season for the Lion harriers who are currently ranked #4 in Class 4A by the Cross Country Coaches Association of Texas.
Junior Nick Yunkun who has been the Lions number one runner at e

very meet so far in 2005 continued to lead the way on Saturday. Yunkun placed third overall out of 199 runners in the Varsity 4A/5A division. Yunkun covered the 3.1 miles (5,000 meters) in an outstanding time of 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
“I was very pleased with the way Nick stepped up and competed with the two very strong runners from Cedar Park Vista Ridge,” Coach Scott Hippensteel said.
Junior Jonathan Fitzgerald ran a strong race as he finished as the number two runner for Lockhart placing sixth overall with a time 16:20. Lockhart”s number three runner was also a junior as Clay Culpepper finished in eighth place with a time of 16:22. Senior Stoney McCrary was the Lion”s number four man. McCrary ran his best race of the season to date placing 16th overall in 16:42. Just one second later Junior Nic Alford finished in 17th place.
Juniors Sean Smith and Scott Woody also ran in the varsity race for Lockhart. Smith placed 18th for the Lions while Woody finished in 26th overall.
Lockhart”s number two varsity ran in the 1A-3A-varsity race. The team finished a very respectable second out of 19 teams competing. Senior James Saldana led the way ninth overall in 17:40. Sophomore Christyan Gutierrez placed 11th in 17:49 and was followed two seconds later across the line by Lions Jose Medina (freshman) in 12th place and Scotty Castanon (sophomore) in 13th place. Freshmen Marcos Gonzales ran a strong race to finish in 14th place. Freshmen Cameron Peters placed 16th, while brothers Alfredo and AJ Maderal placed 21st and 28th for the Lions. Sophomore Jordan Delgado finished 30th for the Lions running a strong race.
For the Arkansas Chilipepper Invitational results see next week”s newspaper.
The L.H.S. Cross Country team will host the 26-4A District Meet at the Lockhart City Park on Saturday, Oct. 29 with races starting at 9 a.m.
(Courtesy of Scott Hippensteel)