JERSEY - El Dorado won the senior high boys’ division of the Moro Bay Cross Country Invitational on Saturday. Zach McMillon and Alex Espinoza finished second and third, respectively, to lead the way for the Wildcats.
El Dorado’s junior high girls finished second with the junior high boys placing third.
McMillon did not compete Thursday in Hot Springs due to an illness. Coach John Koonce was monitoring the sophomore before Saturday’s race.
“I told him to go out slow. He said, ‘Coach, I’m good.’ I said alright, well, go get it,” Koonce said. “The boy that beat him is a very solid runner. Zach would’ve liked to have been up there with him but he listened to my instructions to go out under a little more control. We wanted to make sure he was O.K.”
Ouachita’s Christian Kratz won the senior boys race.
As for Espinoza, “I could not be more proud of him. He beat a dude he’s seen probably 20 times between track and cross country he’d never beaten before and he beat him by a full minute. He saw another dude he’s seen about 10 times he’s never beaten before and he beat him by about 40 seconds. He’s really coming on strong.
Riley Dumas finished eighth. Hunter Nutt and Cooper Conner were also singled out by the coach.
Smackover’s Evan Phillips finished 20th and Parkers Chapel’s Jordis Battisto was 25th.
El Dorado’s junior high girls were nipped by Monticello. Corin Melear led the Lady Cats, finishing third with Ainsley Colvin sixth and Abby Mitchell eighth.
Corin Melear third, Ainsley Colvin sixth and Abby Mitchell in eighth. Nadalee Pumphrey finished 15th and Abri White was 21st.
“They ran well. It’s a hard course. It’s basically a trail run, up and down hills. I was pleased with the kids. I thought the girls did well,” said Koonce.
Smackover’s Kyndal McDonald was 23rd followed by Meagan Litton (27th) and Oakley Hubbard (30th).
Parkers Chapel’s Linley Sindle was 29th.
Seventh grader Justin Obiozo led the junior high Wildcats, finishing eighth with Charlie Conner ninth.
“Things did not go as planned for us in that race,” Koonce said. “Our number one dude got sick. Our number four guy sprained his ankle. Things didn’t go as planned in that race but the kids that finished did well.”
Logan Nutt was 14th with Aaron Yarbrough (20th), Alex Sullivent (25th) and Jake Dilworth (29th).