El Dorado competes at conference cross country meet

HOT SPRINGS - El Dorado traveled to Hot Springs on Tuesday and competed in the 5A South Cross Country Championships. The meet was hosted by Hot Springs Lakeside on Essex Golf Course.

El Dorado had runners medal in three of the four races and brought home the first individual championship in the program’s history.

“We were pleased with our times,” said El Dorado coach John Koonce. “Times in cross country, courses vary but we had kids, in every division, a bunch of kids stepped up and beat kids they hadn’t been able to beat all year. That’s very encouraging.”

Sophomore Emma McGee finished seventh in the varsity girls race with a time of 20:49.00 on the 5000-meter course.

“She was projected to finish 12th,” Koonce said. “She became the second fastest girl in school history on a certified 5K course. She is the first girl to go all-conference since 2015, which Chloee Richard did it in her junior year.”

Alex Espinoza led the senior high Wildcats with a 28th place finish.

Freshman Zachary McMillon won the junior high boys’ race, finishing the 2,500-meter course in a time of 8:37.00.

“First time in school history that we’ve had a kid win the individual award at a conference meet,” said Koonce. “It was a great race. He kept about a five-minute mile pace the whole race.”

Eli Rodriguez (8th), Jake Dilworth (13th) and Charlie Conner (15th) also medaled for El Dorado, which finished third in the junior boys’ team competition behind Lake Hamilton and Lakeside.

El Dorado’s junior high girls finished runner-up behind Lake Hamilton and ahead of Hot Springs Lakeside.

“I’m very proud of the team because we were down our top runner. Lakeside’s a team we’ve been neck-and-neck with all year with that girl running,” said Koonce. “To still be able to beat them, very proud of the girls. Our four, five and six girls really stepped up.”

Four El Dorado girls claimed medals, led by Clarabeth Black, who finished sixth. Carly Meadows finished seventh followed by Corin Melear (9th) and Ainsley Colvin (13th).

Koonce said the freshmen will move up to the senior high teams for the upcoming 5A State Cross Country Championships, which will be held at Oaklawn in Hot Springs.

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