Guthrie Cross Country teams qualify for State after strong regional performance

The Guthrie High School cross country teams secured spots in the state championship for the eighth consecutive year after impressive showings at the Class 5A Owasso Regional over the weekend. The boys finished in 5th place, while the girls claimed 3rd, outperforming their pre-race rankings and showing their competitive edge.

On the boys’ side, junior Isaiah Blevins led the charge, finishing 2nd overall with a time of 16:13. The girls were paced by junior Taylor Schroder, who placed 9th with a time of 20:16. Both teams entered the meet ranked lower than they placed, with the boys projected 7th and the girls 5th, but they surpassed expectations and will now advance to state.

The girls team standings saw Bishop Kelley finish first with 30 points, followed by Tulsa Edison with 77 points, and Guthrie with 119 points. For the boys, Bishop Kelley took the top spot with 26 points, followed by Tahlequah (87), McGuinness (107), Pryor (119), and Guthrie with 148 points.

For the Lady Jays, Schroder’s top-10 finish was complemented by solid performances from senior Raley Hooper, who finished 19th in 21:22, freshman Jaydin Alexander in 27th, senior Peyton Read in 30th, and sophomore Addison Poupard in 34th. The boys saw a strong team effort as well, with senior Riley Wilkerson, junior Corbin Madison, sophomore Josiah Dement, and freshman Easton Smedley finishing between 30th and 44th place.

Looking forward to state, head coach Bryce Balenseifen believes both teams have a shot at a top-5 finish.

“That would be awesome for us, considering the talent we lost on both sides last year, our current youth (one senior boy and three senior girls), and the talent we have coming up at the junior high. The culture still needs to improve, but this year we have had some noticeable improvements. Can’t wait to see how they do at state next week,” Balenseifen said.

The state races will be held this Saturday at Edmond Santa Fe High School. The Class 5A girls’ race will begin at 9:50 a.m., and the boys’ race will begin at 10:25 a.m.