Broncos compete in Battle for 509

AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Lind-Ritzville/Sprague runners were among the competitors at the largest cross country meet in Northeast Washington on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Both middle and high school runners competed in the Battle for the 509 at the Spokane Polo Grounds.

The middle school boys finished 14th with 372 team points in the 1.6-mile event. Cheney won with a team low score of 48.

Eighth-grader Wyatt Walker led the young Broncos, finishing his race in 10:51.00, good enough for 49th place. Seventh-grade teammate Jayden Stark was 102nd with a time of 12:07.40, followed by sixth-grader Zachary Heater in 12:13.60 in 110th place.

Other local middle school boys finishing the race include seventh-graders William Wilkes, 145th, 14:01.90; Isaiah Busby, 150th, 14:09.40; and Graham Christianson, 152nd, 14:17.70.

In the high school boys 5,000-meter Varsity Red division, senior Caleb Heater led the Broncos with a 149th place finish in 20:06.10, followed by junior teammate Cameron Christianson, 171st with a time of 21:09.40.

The Broncos didn’t have enough boys to earn team points.

The best finishes for the Broncos came in the middle school girls 1.6-mile race.

Eighth-grader Reagan Korthuis led the way with a 42nd place finish in 12:22.30, followed by sixth-grader Finley Curstis in 44th in 12:22.70

In the high school girls Varsity Red 5,000-meter division, Bronco sophomore Maeve Korthuis finished 125th in 26:08.30.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague didn’t have enough girls in either division to earn a team score.

This week, the local harriers were scheduled to compete Tuesday, Oct. 3, at Lewis and Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. Then on Saturday, Oct. 7, they are scheduled to compete in the 54th annual Max Jensen/Richland Invitational at Carmichael Middle School in Richland.