Mercer Cross Country Shines In Monticello
Junior Brycen Jones placed 26th out of 72 runners and third amongst Titans with a 5K run of 19:50.89 on Saturday, Oct. 25, in Monticello.
Samuel Warren
Herald Staff
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Titan Cross Country took the long bus ride south to Monticello on Saturday, Oct. 25, for the Class-AA Region 5 competition, where they hoped to qualify both the boys’ and girls’ teams for the state competition, hosted at the Kentucky Horse Park on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The day began with the boys’ 5k run. The Titans knew they would need to work hard this season to compete for a qualifying spot. After losing star runner Marshall Hart, it was clear they no longer had a single runner who could drastically lower the team score on their own. Before the season, Head Coach Derek McIntyre knew they had a long way to go before reclaiming the form they had shown the season before, but ahead of the region meet, he was confident they would qualify for a third consecutive season.
Sophomore Ashton Butler led the Titans on the course for most of the season, and he continued to improve with an 18:33.88 time at Saturday’s regional meet. Butler shaved more than 15 seconds off his time from a year ago in Monticello and placed ninth overall out of 72 runners. It would take a team effort for the Titans to qualify.
