The Houlton and Greater Houlton Christian Academy cross-country runners competed last Friday at the University of Maine Presque Isle.
The Houlton girls’ team scored an 88, which left them behind Caribou, 35; Presque Isle, 56; and Washburn, 58.
Rylee Warman of Houlton placed second overall in the meet with a time of 22:02.04.
“Rylee ran a smart race, with several Washburn and Caribou runners out in front,” said coach Chris Rines. “She didn’t get lost in their pace and stayed focused on her own race. She eventually caught all the girls ahead of her, however, a girl from Presque Isle was doing the same. They ran neck-and-neck the last half mile and it wasn’t until the last 100 meters the Presque Isle girl broke away with a longer stride. Rylee lost by only four seconds.”
Mandy Graham was the overall female winner with a time of 21:57.02.
The runners ran just 94-feet shy of a true 5K course.
“Runners from Houlton saw some very good results in this race,” added Rines. “After a tough week of training, several runners hit there personal best on the course.”
Among those who set personal records for girls was Emily Dickison, who placed 23rd with a time of 25:48.81.
Emma Hines finished 28th with a time of 27:05.48; 33rd, Victoria Holmes, 28:04.26 and 37th, Olivia Winslow, 28:39.41.
The Houlton boys had enough runners to score as a team. They came in fifth with 102 points, following Caribou, 40; Fort Kent, 42; Presque Isle, 76; and Washburn, 97.
“This is the first time Houlton has had a cross country team score for the boys in many years,” Rines added.
The overall male winner was Fort Kent’s Matthew Toussaint with a time of 17:44.12, followed by Washburn’s Derek Baker in 18:24.13.
Isaiah Brown, Noah Holmes, Adam Casillas and Tre Whitney each scored their season personal best in the race. Brown came in with a time of 19:11.68 for an 11th-place finish, followed by Dustin Hines in 15th with a time of 19:50.44; Holmes, 26th, 20:51.18; Casillas, 31st, 21:32.29; and Whitney, 38th, 22:58.10.
In the same race, GHCA runners saw freshman Wesley Ganglfinger finish in 23rd with a time of 20:34.47 and Alex Walker, 42nd, 24:18.53.
For the girls, Rachel Potter finished with a time of 40:32.64 for 44th.
“Our freshmen, Wesley and Alex, have transitioned well into the varsity volume and are starting to get stronger and bolder in their running,” said GHCA coach Taylor Quint. “Rachel has responded well to a different style of training and has such a willing desire to trust in it and it is paying off.”
Houlton cross-country heads to Old Town on Saturday for a 1 p.m. Penobscot Valley Conference regular season meet and the 65th annual sectional cross country meet.
GHCA runners will train for their showing at the Festival of Champions on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. in Belfast. They will also have a meet on Wednesday, Oct. 8 in Washburn at 3:30 p.m. with Washburn, Fort Kent and Limestone/MSSM.
