The Hopkinsville High girls’ cross country team brought something back to the school Saturday for the first time in 44 years – a region cross country trophy.
The Lady Tigers finished in second place at Saturday’s Class 2A region meet in Owensboro. According to Coach Roger Volk, it was the first time Hopkinsville had finished first or second at a girls’ regional cross country meet since the 1979 Hoptown team won the region title.
The Lady Tigers put all five of its scorers in the top 15 to total 54 points. It was six points ahead of third-place Logan County and 28 points behind region champ Calloway County who put its five runners in the top 11.
Lauren Mayes was the first Hoptown runner across the finish line, covering the 3.1 mile course and 2250 for a second-place finish.
Kayden Coats was ninth in 23:46 and Rebecca Wood was 13th in 24:15.
Hoptown took to recruiting the halls of the school and was able to get soccer and track athlete Grace Cansler on the course for the first time. She finished in 15th place in 24:44.
Alexis Herrera-Loveto, who injured her ankle three weeks ago and was thought to be lost for the season, gained medical clearance to run in the region meet and gutted out a 16th-place finish in 24:49.
Evelyn Bangart was 24th in 26:22 and Lunana Acree was 32nd in 29:59.
Hopkinsville runs in the Class 2A State Meet on Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.
–photos by Ashlyn Brown
