Caryn Glyn-Jones
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Columbus North boys and girls cross-country teams traveled south over the weekend to conclude their 2023 seasons.
For the third consecutive year, the Bull Dogs competed as “Columbus Thorn Running Club” in the Garmin RunningLane Cross Country Championships, a national meet in Huntsville, Alabama. While the course has been fast in previous years, teams ran on a wet and muddy course on Saturday.
North finished 10th in the Boys 5,000 Meter Gold race and also were 10th overall when combining the boys races. The Bull Dogs placed 17th in the Girls 5,000 Meter Gold race and were 19th overall when results were combined.
Carys Glyn-Jones led the North girls with a 90th-place finish in the Gold race in 19 minutes, 13.30 seconds. Kyleigh Wolf took 220th in 20:40.10, while Macy Eaton was 241st (21:06.60), Emma Lowther 249th (21:18.60), Tristan Works 257th (21:58.30), Lydia Weed 265th (22:18.40) and Kenzie Pendleton 268th (22:50.50).
Akot Tong
The Bull Dog boys were without Neal White, who was their top runner all season. Akot Tong led North with a 97th place finish in the Gold race in 16:07.10. Denton Sluder took 147th in 16:23.30, while Jace Works was 159th (16:27.70), Adam Reckers 180th (16:35.57), Jonny Klaus 224th (16:58.90), Draven Martinez 225th (16:59.50) and Logan Vanzant 230th (17:01.50).
Meanwhile, North finished 15th in the Girls 5,000 Meter Silver race and 36th overall when results were combined. Adira Sluder took 133rd in 22:01.10, while Maggie Russell was 153rd (22:33.90), Andi Carothers 161st (22:42.40), Reece Peeples 172nd (23:08.40), Lana Wisler 186th (23:49.00) and Kenzie Meyer 196th (24:48.90).
The Bull Dogs finished third in the Boys 5,000 Meter Bronze race and 30th overall when results were combined. Evan Bense took 60th in 17:05.60, while Cole Stevens was 70th (17:10.90), Damien Dixon 76th (17:12.80), Leyton Hottell 151st (17:43.20), Levi Carothers 201st (18:06.10) and Liam Glyn-Jones 235th (18:38.20).
North had concluded its official season five weeks earlier with a sixth-place boys finish and 12th-place girls finish at the state finals in Terre Haute.
