Video: Guthrie lands three all-state runners at CC State meet

By: Rodrigo Solis
Special to Guthrie News Page

The Guthrie Bluejay cross country programs traveled to Edmond Santa Fe High School to compete at the Class 5A State Cross Country Championships.

The Bluejays finished the team standings in fourth place and the Lady Jays finished fifth overall with 123 points. The girls fell 11 points short of making the podium for a second straight year.

Last year’s 5A returning state runner up, Mercy Dement, came in fourth place with a time 19:42, which marks 18 seconds faster than what she ran last year.

Dement, a senior, ran in the state meet all four seasons and came away with a top eight finish in the last three years.

Joining Dement with the all-state honor was fellow senior Tori Wells, who ran a great race, finished in ninth place with a personal best time of 20:21.

This is the third straight year for Wells to make the all-state podium. Wells previously finished 14th (all-state honorable mention) in 2017 and 2016.

Senior Alessandra Isella (30th), sophomore Kaitlyn Leaty (39th), junior Abigail Brown (41st), senior Sierra Warner (70th), and sophomore Josie Throckmorton (71st), gave the Lady Jays a fifth place team finish.

For the Bluejays, it was senior Trevor Sallee who led the way with a third place finish in a time of 16 minutes and 29 seconds.

It is the first time since 2011 that a Bluejay runner had finished in the top three. Sallee finishes his career by running in all four state meets and finishing at least in the top 18 all four years.

A few seconds behind Sallee was Mason Barney, who really came on strong in the last month of the season. The junior ran a personal best of 16:58 to finish 14th out of 112 runners.

Sophomore Grant Mayer (28th), senior JD Coonfield (31st), senior Loren Huskey (50th), freshman Braden Hall (73rd), and sophomore Jaxon Harden (89th) gave the Bluejays a fourth place finish. Only 10 points from finishing in the top three.

The Bluejays finished their season with three team titles and three runner ups.

Next, will be the Meet of Champions on November 9 in Midwest City.

Pictured (L-R) is Trevor Sallee, Mason Barney, Coach James Strahorn, Mercy Dement and Tori Wells.