The Scoop: A Blitz Of Serious Times And Performances

Ty Steorts Was Out To Prove A Point At The adidas XC Challenge

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Meet Results

There have been some great athletes on the WakeMed Cross Country Course in recent years. 

From Brodey Hasty, Rocky Hansen and Drew Hunter to DJ Principe, Carter Cheeseman and Charles Hicks. 

The list is illustrious, and it is long. 

But on Saturday, it felt like Hurricane (WV) junior Ty Steorts was out to prove a point. The West Virginia star man ran the third-fastest time on the course in its history, clocking a time of 14:38.80 to win the adidas XC Challenge. 

Only Hasty (14:32.20) and Principe (14:32.40) have run faster on it all-time. Steorts played it safe, ultimately taking control over the second-half of the course as he legged past Lampeter Strasburg's Colin Whitaker, who was second overall in 14:42.60. 

CHAMPIONSHIP BOYS 5000 METER RUN FINALS	
PLACE	ATHLETE		TEAM	RESULT	POINTS
1	Ty Steorts	11	Hurricane	14:38.80 	1
2	Colin Whitaker	12	Lampeter Strasburg	14:42.60 	0
3	Noah Valyo	12	Athens Drive	14:48.00 	2
4	Luke Liming	12	Cary	14:56.90 	3
5	Aaron Kidd	12	Hurricane	14:58.70 	4
6	Tyler Surface	12	North Raleigh Christian Academy	14:58.90 	0
7	Cameron Davis	12	Calvert Hall College High School	14:59.00 	5
8	Jack Anstrom	11	Seaforth High School	14:59.70 	0

A total of eight boys broke 15 minutes on the course, while Calvert Hall, a private Maryland program, won the team title with 122 points, which was a full 100 points staked on Nease (202). 

The girls championship? 

This one also was a statement-maker, though more of a reaffirming one for Cardinal Gibbons. For the second straight week following their dominating performance at the Knights Crossing Invitational, the North Carolina program housed competition at adidas XC, winning the team title with 45 points. 

The squad lowered its 5K average down to 18:06 and was once again led by lead-runner Hannah Rae Shaffer, who finished in 17:18.80. She was one of 10 girls under 18 minutes on the course. 

At this point, with Cardinal Gibbons off to a flying start, fellow North Carolina program Cuthbertson, which finished fourth at Woodbridge and is nationally ranked, has to be aware, if not a little worried. Cuthbertson claimed the North Carolina 4A title by 49 points in 2022. 

This fall, that gap has closed ...fast. 

TEAM SCORES
PLACE	TEAM	POINTS	SCORERS	TIMES
1	Cardinal Gibbons	45	1+8+10+12+14 (35+62)	1:07 1-5 Split | 18:06 Avg
2	Mount Tabor	112	4+9+25+34+40 (171+175)	1:22 1-5 Split | 18:44 Avg
3	W.T. Woodson	139	11+19+30+33+46 (63+92)	1:08 1-5 Split | 18:56 Avg
4	West Springfield	194	5+13+41+56+79 (84+96)	2:06 1-5 Split | 19:07 Avg
5	Hoggard	245	3+38+60+64+80 (115+126)	2:17 1-5 Split | 19:22 Avg