Runners Show Out at Record Setting Southeast Regional
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The Nike Cross Nationals Southeast Regional featured top performances, with athletes battling for regional supremacy and a spot at the national championship. Held at the Wakemed Soccer Complex, the competition highlighted some of the nation's best talent, including strong individual and team efforts.
On the boys' side, Keegan Smith of Knoxville Catholic High School was the standout, crossing the finish line in 14:23.26 to win the race. This performance not only set a new course record but also established a new Tennessee all-time best 5K time, propelling Smith to the top of the U.S. rankings for the 5K. After finishing 7th last year, Smith, who has lost just once this season, had an impressive comeback. His victory surpassed the previous course record held by Brodey Hasty, who ran 14:32.3 at Great American in 2016. Smith's win placed him at the pinnacle of both the state and national standings.
Ty Steorts from Hurricane finished second in 14:36.32, after previously undefeated this season. Tommy Latham, the top returner from last year's regional meet, placed third with a time of 14:43.67, showing consistency in his performance from the previous year. Will Sheets of Covington Catholic and Marcelo Mantecon of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School rounded out the top five.
| PLACE | VIDEO | ATHLETE | TEAM | MARK | POINTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Keegan Smith | 12 | Knoxville Catholic High School | 14:23.26 | 1 | |
| 2 |  Ty Steorts | 12 | Hurricane | 14:36.32 | ||
| 3 |  Tommy Latham | 12 | Marist | 14:43.67 | 2 | |
| 4 |  Will Sheets | 12 | Covington Catholic | 14:44.97 | 3 | |
| 5 |  Marcelo Mantecon | 10 | Belen Jesuit Preparatory School | 14:55.52 | 4 |
Belen Jesuit Preparatory claimed the boys' team title for the second consecutive year. The team finished with 95 points, led by Mantecon's top-five finish. Other key contributors included Justin Ruiz, who finished 16th in 15:31.40, and Marco Prieguez, who crossed the line in 15:35.76 to take 22nd. These strong individual performances helped Belen Jesuit secure another regional championship. Just behind Belen Jesuit was the St. Albans School boys who scored 135 points with top finishes from Sebi Hume (15:01.15) in 10th place and William Strong (15:18.54) in 24th place.
In the girls' race, Averi Lowen of Bowdon dominated the competition, finishing first with a time of 16:59.18. Lowen capped off her season with nine consecutive victories, cementing her status as one of the nation's top runners. Carolina Areheart from Webb School of Knoxville ran a big 17-second personal best to finish second in 17:02.74, a standout performance that helped her secure a spot among the best in the region. Katie Payne of Tatnall also had a breakthrough run, setting a massive 30-second PR to finish third in 17:07.94.
| PLACE | TEAM | POINTS | SCORERS | TIMES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Cardinal Gibbons | 119 | 3+9+31+32+44 (46+80) | 1:20 1-5 Split | 18:07 Avg |
| 2 |  Brentwood High School | 126 | 19+23+25+26+33 (39+66) | 0:31 1-5 Split | 18:15 Avg |
| 3 |  Webb School of Knoxville | 127 | 1+4+13+50+59 (75+125) | 1:58 1-5 Split | 18:01 Avg |
| 4 |  West Springfield | 133 | 5+15+16+18+79 (109+144) | 1:52 1-5 Split | 18:08 Avg |
| 5 |  James W. Robinson | 162 | 11+17+21+28+85 (124+136) | 1:46 1-5 Split | 18:19 Avg |
Cardinal Gibbons' girls took the team title with a strong performance, earning 119 points. The team was led by senior Hannah Rae Shaffer, who finished 6th in 17:21.42, and Addy Mitchell, who crossed the line in 17:39.8 to place 15th. These strong individual performances helped Cardinal Gibbons secure the Southeast title. Webb School of Knoxville and Brentwood High School rounded out the top three teams, finishing 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Webb's team was buoyed by Areheart's performance and other strong finishes, while Brentwood's depth helped them earn their spot in the top three.