Lady Dogs 2nd, Boys 3rd In LCC Meet

Jayden Lee, Hannah Hail, Morgan Brown Named To All-Conference Teams

Sulphur cross country runners Jayden Lee and Hannah Hail, for the girls, and Morgan Brown on the boy’s team, were named All-Conference after their performances in last Saturday’s Lake Country Conference meet in Madill.

Lee led the Lady Bulldogs with a second place overall finish among a group of 57 runners while Hail crossed the tape in 8th place.

Brown was the top Bulldog runner, winning 6th overall in a conference featuring some of the most competitive programs in the state.

Overall, the Lady Bulldogs ran second in team points with five medalists, and the boys were third with six medalists.

Following Lee and Hail, the Lady Bulldogs were given a big boost from medalist performers Rory McMillan (11th), Paxtyn Hiser (14th), and Landry Eason (16th). Following them were Daniela Rojo Rios (31st) and Kamree Quinten (37th) In the boy’s division, Brown was followed by five teammates winning medalist honors. They included Calvin Downey (14th), Korbin Mayo (19th), Keaton Seitz (21st) Landy DeArman (24th) and Zak Kirk (25th). Triston Barnes came in 29th to round out the Bulldog scoring leaders.

Sulphur head girl’s coach Kari Seitz said the Lady Bulldogs ran strong in the conference meet with several new personal records.

“Jayden Lee and Hannah Hail once again led the way, earning All-Conference honors for their impressive performances,” said Seitz. “Both Jayden and Hannah have been consistent leaders all season, and their efforts set the tone for another successful race.”

Seitz said Rory McMillan, Paxtyn Hiser, and Landry Eason also stepped up in a big way, each running their best race of the year- Eason with a huge PR.

Seitz said all of the girls continue to impress her with their desire to compete and improve each week. “It was a solid team effort from start to finish and a great segway to the regional meet next weekend,” she said.

Bulldog head boy’s coach, Emile Heitland said competition was very stiff in the conference with two Class 4A top teams in No. 2 Byng, and No. 12 Madill, and Class 3A with No. 4 Dickson and No. 15 Marietta.

Heitland praised Brown’s effort in an extremely competitive field that featured one returning state champion and four returning state placers.

“The Lake Country Conference is one of the most competitive meets of the season, providing an excellent test just one week before regionals,” said Heitland.

Four of the Bulldogs, Calvin Downey, Zak Kirk, Korbin Mayo, and Landy DeArman, all posted their best times of the season which Heitland said was a pleasant surprise after a tough week of practice.

“I wasn’t expecting to see times drop like this until next week when we begin to taper, so it was incredibly encouraging to see such strong performances,” he said. “ It’s a true testament to these athletes work ethic and competitive nature.”

Another Bulldog with a strong effort was freshman Ayden Espitia.

“He had a breakthrough performance, finally hitting a goal he’s been chasing all season, breaking the 20-minute barrier with a 19:56,” said Heitland. “I couldn’t be prouder of him. Despite not running much cross country in junior high, Ayden has kept everything in perspective this year. Instead of comparing himself to the older athletes, he’s stayed focused on his own goals and steady improvement. He’s without a doubt one of the most improved runners on the team.”

In junior high competition, the girls finished with two medalists in a field of 78, Jozi Gilliam (2nd) and Huntley Hatfield (11th), and the boys had three medalists, Jake Mann (1st), Skyler Sloan (9th), and Dautry Smith (10th). All three had personal records.

Levi Walther and Trypp Pulis each had a personal record runs to round out the boys’ scoring.

The junior high boys were fifth overall in team scoring.

The Lady Bulldog’s Jayden Lee leads a pack of runners in last Saturday’s LCC meet