VW Cougars race in the Bluegrass State

Submitted information/Van Wert independent sports

LOUISVILLE (KY) — Van Wert High School’s boys’ cross country team and four individuals from the girls’ cross country team made competed at the Trinity Valkyrie Invitational in Louisville (KY) on Saturday. The Cougars partipicated in the highly competitive Varsity Race, placing 17th out of 31 teams in that field.

Senior Gage Chiles led Van Wert with a 27th place finish in the 277-runner field in a time of 17:36. The freshman duo of Hunter Sherer (79th, 18:32) and Gage Wannemacher (81st, 18:33) were the team’s second and third finishers. Senior Noah Carter (164th, 19:50) and sophomore James Hagaman (172nd, 19:58), rounded out scoring for the Cougars.

“Today was a good day for our guys,” Van Wert head coach Ryan Holliday said. “It’s always great to race in a big race, on a really cool course, against top-notch competition. Our guys were short-handed today, but the ones who competed raced very well.”

Junior Caylee Phillips led the Lady Cougars with a fourth place finish in the 295-runner field with a time of 19:35. Sophomore Rachel Spath (104th, 23:08) junior Ali Gemmer (153rd, 24:32), and senior Caton Williamson (209th, 26:05) were the other competitors for Van Wert.

“Our girls had a great experience running here in Louisville today,” Holliday said. “These four racers had some of their best efforts of the year because they focused on racing well, especially in the second half. Although their times won’t show it because of the heat, their racing was very good,”

The teams will be back in action Saturday at the Van Wert County Invitational at the Van Wert Reservoir.