‘Go out with a bang.’ Beiting leads Lexington Catholic to regional cross country title.
Lexington Catholic’s Caroline Beiting sat out last year’s Class 2A Region 4 Cross Country Championship to rest a nagging hip injury but rejoined her team a week later to help the Knights win their third straight state title.
This year, it’s all systems go for Beiting and the Knights as Lexington Catholic swept the regional’s top three podium spots and placed all seven of its runners in the top 10 at Bourbon County Park in Paris on Saturday.
“I just want my senior year to go out with a bang,” said Beiting, who finished the 3.1-mile course with a time of 18:26.71, almost 12 seconds ahead of sophomore teammate Anna Dawahare. “We’re having fun as a team. Our team is very strong. We’re all pushing each other and encouraging each other.”
A state record-holder in the 1,600 meters track and field event last spring, Beiting went to the lead at the start and quickly established a gap on the field.
Beiting said she and her teammates came into the cross country season with a determination to work harder and stay healthy.
“We’re putting in a lot more mileage compared to last year, for me, personally, and as a team in general,” Beiting said. “I’m super proud of them.”
Joining Beiting and Dawahare as medalists were teammates Abigail Turner, another sophomore, in third, senior Cecelia Lowry in fifth, sophomore Abby Etherington in seventh and junior Nora Parker in eighth. Freshman Addison Mason placed 10th.
On the boys’ side, Covington Catholic senior Will Sheets led the first-place Colonels with a time of 15:05.73, nearly 15 seconds ahead of teammate Joe Mayer, last year’s region winner.
Like Beiting, Sheets sat out last year’s regional to rest a hip injury but returned to help CovCath win the state title.
“It was a nasty injury, but I’m glad to be back now, and I’m feeling better than ever,” said Sheets, who has designs on winning at next week’s state meet at the Kentucky Horse Park. “The goal was to go out and get a good solid effort in — not to empty the tank — answer some gut-check moments and prepare for next week.”
Bourbon County junior Christopher Wells finished third and set a school record with a time of 15:56.92, helping the meet host finish second as a team, just two points behind CovCath. Bourbon County is looking to improve on its fifth-place finish last year at state, Wells said.
“We worked hard together for a really long time,” Wells said. “It means a lot to finally have a really good team.”
Lafayette sweeps Class 3A boys and girls region titles
Lafayette junior Xavier Richardson breezed to victory in Saturday’s Class 3A Region 6 Championship with a time of 15:10.81 at Bourbon County Park, helping the Generals claim their fourth straight region team title.
Inspired by last year’s individual region and state champion James Ndayishimiye, a former teammate now at Eastern Kentucky, the Lafayette squad hopes to do something no Lexington public school has done — win a state cross country team title.
“The goal is always to win big,” said Richardson, who added that he shattered his personal record by 30 seconds Saturday. “Having James (Ndayishimiye) as a teammate was the most amazing thing ever. He led the way for our whole program.”
Richardson was joined in the top 20 by teammates Van Weimer in fourth, Andrew Grace in eighth and with Jake Hanson, Colson Somerville and Jackson Profitt in 10th, 11th, and 12, respectively. Dylan Brock took 16th.
Lafayette coach Caleb Joy called his team a “very special group.” Hanson is the lone senior.
“Our coach drills into us every day that it’s not a dream anymore. Everything we want can be a reality,” Richardson said. “We put in the work every single day and it’s nice to see it pay off. We’re going to give it our all next week. I think we’ve got a really good chance.”
Lafayette’s girls team defended their region title in part by keeping as close together as possible. Callie Tyson, Sophia Cahill, Elizabeth Folsom and Alice Lugauer took places five through eight with Caroline Fritz close behind in 13th.
“I think this was a big breakthrough for us as a team because we really haven’t been able to have a race with all of us close together. I think that means a lot,” Tyson said. “We’re learning how to run together rather than race against each other, which I think is really cool.”
Lexington swept the team podiums in both the boys’ and girls’ races. On the boys’ side, Paul Laurence Dunbar placed second and was led by third-place finisher Noah Mathews. Henry Clay took third, led by sixth-place finisher Canaan Thomas.
Henry Clay’s girls team took second, led by Billie Phemister and Sophia Anderson in third and fourth, respectively. Frederick Douglass took third, led by Adelyn Myers’ ninth-place finish. Dunbar’s Susanne Estepp finished second as Lexington runners took nine of the top 10 spots.
Woodford’s defending state champion sets course record
Woodford County’s Addison Moore claimed her fifth straight Class 3A Region 6 girls title with a Bourbon County Park course record time of 18:02.65.
Moore fell to her knees at the finish as she tried to get up the final hill before the clock reached 18 minutes. She didn’t mind barely missing that goal.
“I was really happy with it. It was a really good race, and I powered through those hills,” Moore said.
Just a junior, Moore said she doesn’t hasn’t felt any more pressure this season as the defending state champion. That’s not how she thinks.
“I’m friends with the other girls I’m competing against, so I’m just excited to see them and make it a fun race,” Moore said.
Lexington Christian sweeps Class A region team crowns
Lexington Christian freshman Kennedy Moughamian defended her individual title with a time of 19:57.90 and helped the Eagles claim their 11th straight girls team championship on a challenging course set up at the Kentucky Library and Archives in Frankfort for the Class A Region 5 Championship.
“It’s the hilliest course I’ve ever been to. I’ve never seen anything like it before,” LCA coach Tom Stickel said. “There was no flat. It was either up or down…. But (the runners) didn’t complain about it.”
Indeed, LCA seemed to take to it well considering eighth grader Hadley Raiser and junior Annie Sewell finished second and third, respectively. Seniors Savannah Setzer and Ruby Karls placed fifth and eighth. Seventh grader Harper Burton took ninth and Violet Griese finished 12th.
That’s not bad for a team that Stickel said was trying to save something for next week’s state meet. The Eagles finished second there to Beechwood last year.
“Last year, we kind of raced each other instead of working together,” Stickel said. “Today they worked really well.”
On the boys’ side, LCA won its third straight region title with strong finishes from Kyle Stickel in second and Bode Byall in third. Shawn Ware, Samuel Scott and Robert Black finished 13th, 15th and 20th, respectively.
Owen County’s Tyler Cammack won the event with a time of 16:59.95.
TOP RESULTS: CLASS 3A REGION 6
Boys’ individuals — 1. Xavier Richardson, Lafayette, 15:10.81; 2. Ryan Hendrix, Woodford County, 15:26.06; 3. Noah Mathews, Paul Dunbar, 15:36.02; 4. Van Weimer, Lafayette, 15:37.22; 5. Cooper Wasson, George Rogers Clark, 15:37.34; 6. Canaan Thomas, Henry Clay, 15:46.53; 7. Josh Arnett, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 15:47.37; 8. Andrew Grace, Lafayette, 15:55.66; 9. Elijah Eppley, Tates Creek, 15:56.96; 10. Jake Hanson, Lafayette, 16:12.85.
Boys’ teams — 1. Lafayette 34; 2. Paul Laurence Dunbar 61; 3. Henry Clay 88; 4. George Rogers Clark 94; 5. Woodford County 136.
Girls’ individuals — 1. Addison Moore, Woodford County, 18:02.65; 2. Susanne Estepp, Paul Laurence Dunbar, 18:29.70; 3. Billie Phemister, Henry Clay, 19:12.08; 4. Sophia Anderson, Henry Clay, 19:19.16; 5. Callie Tyson, Lafayette, 20:04.28; 6. Sophia Cahill, Lafayette, 20:08.63; 7. Elizabeth Folsom, Lafayette, 20:09.60; 8. Alice Lugauer, Lafayette, 20:20.73; 9. Adelyn Myers, Frederick Douglass, 20:22.22; 10. Tye Park, Frederick Douglass, 20:22.89.
Girls’ teams — 1. Lafayette 39; 2. Henry Clay 61; 3. Frederick Douglass 78; 4. Woodford County 112; 5. Paul Laurence Dunbar 123.
TOP RESULTS: CLASS 2A REGION 4
Boys’ individuals — 1. Will Sheets, Covington Catholic 15:05.73; 2. Joe Mayer, Covington Catholic, 15:30.20; 3. Christopher Wells, Bourbon County, 15:56.92; 4. Asher Feddock, Lexington Catholic, 16:15.60; 5. Grant Perraut, Bourbon County, 16:19.24; 6. Jesus Mendoza-solis, Bourbon County, 16:26.97; 7. Kenneth Salas, Bourbon County, 16:33.63; 8. Jackson Germann, Covington Catholic, 16:34.78; 9. Daxton Noe, Lexington Catholic, 16:41.77; 10. Braden Franxman, Covington Catholic, 16:41.80.
Boys’ teams — 1. Covington Catholic 32; 2. Bourbon County 35; 3. Lexington Catholic 65; 4. Franklin County 133; 5. Harrison County 135.
Girls Individuals — 1. Caroline Beiting, Lexington Catholic 18:26.71; 2. Anna Dawahare, Lexington Catholic 18:38.46; 3. Abigail Turner, Lexington Catholic 18:59.09; 4. Marleigh Estes, Bourbon County 19:14.45; 5. Cecelia Lowry, Lexington Catholic 19:26.78; 6. Macey McKinzie, Bourbon County 20:12.72; 7. Abby Etherington, Lexington Catholic 20:23.30; 8. Nora Parker, Lexington Catholic 20:25.03; 9. Rylee Schaffner, Franklin County 20:44.05; 10. Addison Mason, Lexington Catholic 20:50.02.
Girls teams — 1. Lexington Catholic 18; 2. Bourbon County 44; 3. Harrison County 92; 4. Western Hills 108; 5. Pendleton County 120.
TOP RESULTS: CLASS A REGION 5
Boys Individuals — 1. Tyler Cammack, Owen County 16:59.95; 2. Kyle Stickel, Lexington Christian 17:14.83; 3. Bode Byall, Lexington Christian 17:15.76; 4. Grayson Miller, Augusta 17:45.76; 5. Bruce Hayden, Paris 18:00.29; 6. Eli Marshall, Frankfort 18:01.49; 7. Talon Wilson, Owen County 18:03.89; 8. Lucas Hanks, Bracken County 18:43.35; 9. Banks Bratcher, Danville 18:55.09; 10. Maddox Donovan, Nicholas County 18:59.19.
Boys teams — 1. Lexington Christian, 44; 2. Owen County, 83; 3. Bracken County, 107; 4. Danville, 108; 5. Frankfort, 108.
Girls Individuals — 1. Kennedy Moughamian, Lexington Christian, 19:57.90; 2. Hadley Raisor, Lexington Christian, 20:53.60; 3. Annie Sewell, Lexington Christian, 21:11.70; 4. Jamison Bessinger Frankfort, 21:59.60; 5. Savannah Setzer, Lexington Christian, 22:05.20; 6. Isabella Olivigni, Gallatin County, 22:33.40; 7. Addison Hill, Danville Christian, 22:37.50; 8. Ruby Karls, Lexington Christian, 22:42.90; 9. Harper Burton, Lexington Christian, 23:23.20; 10. Brooklyn Rudd, Bracken County, 23:33.60.
Girls teams — 1. Lexington Christian, 19; 2. Bracken County, 85; 3. Trimble County, 95; 4. Frankfort, 100; 5. Gallatin County, 106.
