Elk City High School varsity boys faced the coldest air and fastest course of the season at the OSSAA 4A State Cross Country Meet at Edmond Santa Fe High School on October 28.
Competing against the top 21 teams plus the top 21 individual qualifiers in Class 4A, the ECHS boys finished in 17th place as a team. Every member of the ECHS team put up PRs (personal records) for best times of the season in the field of 163 runners.
Leading the team in the 4A varsity boys’ 5k race was senior Jack Morgan, who finished in 7th place with a career high PR of 16:19.28. Morgan’s Top 10 finish made the senior a two-time All-Stater. In Cross Country, the Top 10 finishers at the State Meet earn All-State honors. Morgan also placed 7th in last year’s State Meet.
Coming in second for the ECHS boys was freshman Luke Thomas with a PR of 18:04.60 and a 66th place finish. In Thomas’ first season on the varsity boys’ team, he moved into the number two spot midway through the season and shaved almost a minute off his previous best 5k time.
Zach Rhodes had a solid senior season with improved times throughout the year. Rhodes finished in 111th place at the State Meet with a PR of 18:52:68, a significant improvement on his PR from this Cross Country season.
Freshman Colton Nebhut was a solid four spot for the Elks in his first season on the varsity boys’ team. Nebhut improved his time in every Meet this year. He finished in 132nd place at the State Meet with a PR of 19:38.84, a solid improvement from his best time this year.
Sophomore Tommy Bailey also had a solid race and a PR at the State Meet. Finishing 148th, Bailey came in at 20:32.83 following Meet-by-Meet improvement.
And sophomore Eli Shelton shaved almost two minutes off his previous PR to run his best race of the season at State. Shelton finished in 156th place in the varsity boys’ 5k race.
Despite a great season leading up to the State Meet, senior Jaser Reyes posted a DNF (did not finish) due to an injury during the race. Reyes also improved his 5k time in each meet leading up to State. His PR on the season came at Regionals, where he ran 21:08.52.
