Williamstown junior Alyssa Sauro won the girls race at the Chick-fil-A Invitational with a time of 18 minutes, 23 seconds. The Yellowjackets had four runners in the top 10, helping them secure their fourth consecutive crown. The team’s head girls coach, Mike Taylor, was thrilled with the team’s strong performance, stating that it was their best effort of the year. Sauro, who won the race for the third year in a row, followed the gameplan of sticking with the top runners for half the race before making her move.
Two other Williamstown runners, Cassie Sites and Ava Lightfritz, finished in fourth and fifth place respectively. The team ran as a pack and worked together to achieve their success. The Parkersburg girls team had strong performances as well, with several runners finishing in the top 10. Despite an injury to one of their top runners, the team still had a good showing and is optimistic about their improvement throughout the season. Sauro was thrilled to be back with her teammates and praised their hard work and dedication.
In the boys race, Bridgeport took home the title with Buffalo finishing as the runner-up. Bison senior Patrick Reilly won the individual title, narrowly beating out Indian sophomore Troy Zorick. Williamstown finished in third place, led by Julian Johnson who finished in sixth place. The team had several other runners in the top 40, contributing to their strong showing. Other local runners also had impressive performances and helped their teams achieve solid finishes.