Wright takes title; Pekin runner-up in Iowa City

IOWA CITY ? Pekin rookie Gwynne Wright won her sixth meet of the season, and the Pekin girls? cross country team finished runner-up Thursday at the Bud Williams Invitational in Iowa City.

The phenomenal freshman completed the 4-kilometer course in 14:27 to dominate a field made up of larger school runners. Her tape-breaking time bested runner-up Michelle Zikes of Cedar Rapids Jefferson by 35 seconds, and third-place Mollie Shepherd of Iowa City High finished another 15 seconds behind Zikes.

The fifth-ranked Panthers totaled 52 points overall to finish behind host Iowa City High?s 27. Jefferson was third with a score of 56.

Senior Maleaha Earnest was next for Pekin in 10th place (15:50), followed by another three Panther freshmen rounding out the team score. Taylor Lock finished 15th in 16:10, while Sloan Reighard was 19th (16:26) and Payton Lock took 24th (17:19).

Alternate runners were freshman Nikole Arendt, who finished 28th in 17:28, and junior Hannah Robison (29th, 17:33).

In the boys? race, freshman Austin Fariss paced the Panthers with a 20th-place finish in 17:48. Chase Earnest finished 37th in 18:44, and Clayton Essary was 43rd with a time of 19:19. Christian Little (44th, 19:27) and Avery Bennett (20:12) also contributed to Pekin?s score of 132, which placed them fifth in the six-team field. Iowa City High won the title with only 19 points, and runner-up Southeast Polk scored 58.

The Panthers enter the season?s homestretch with the Southeast Iowa Super Conference Meet in Wapello next Thursday.

Final Team Scores ? Girls

1. Iowa City High 27, 2. Pekin 52, 3. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 56, Iowa Mennonite NS, Ottumwa NS

Pekin Individual Results

1. Gwynne Wright (14:27), 10. Maleaha Earnest (15:50), 15. Taylor Lock (16:10), 19. Sloan Reighard (16:26), 24. Payton Lock (17:19), 28. Nikole Arendt (17:28), 29. Hannah Robison (17:33), 31. Samantha Wright (18:00), 32. Monica Cooley (18:07), 33. McKenna Gamble (18:23), 34. Taylor Winn (18:34), 38. Gabbi Earnest (18:57)

Final Team Scores ? Boys

1. Iowa City High 19, 2. Southeast Polk 58, 3. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 89, 4. Ottumwa 117, 5. Pekin 132, 6. IMS 145

Pekin Individual Results

20. Austin Fariss (17:48), 37. Chase Earnest (18:44), 43. Clayton Essary (19:19), 44. Christian Little (19:27), 46. Avery Bennett (20:12)