Sloan, Riley have a shot at state

The Mountain Home Tigers hosted 15 teams at the Mountain Home Invitational cross country meet at Desert Canyon Golf Course last Thursday. The Tigers finished 11th in the boys competition, and were also 11th in the girls competition.

Brandon Sloan led the Tiger boys, running a 17:40 to come in ninth.

Scott Riley came in 25th with a time of 18:43. Victor Werner came in 73rd with a 21:52, his best time this season.

Nico Pinque finished 88th with a 24:29, and Wes Haws finished 98th with a time of 31:34.

Jesse Cameron led the Mountain Home girls, running a 25:29, which placed her 57th. Kelcie Robinson finished 61st, with a 25:38. Piper Coffin came in 79th with a time of 27:20, Ariel Strasser came in 107th with a 30:58, Courtney Ashford ran a 31:49, good for 111th, Cami Pachner finished 114th with a time of 32:12, and Sarah Hyde ran a 32:33, which placed her 115th.

Mountain Home Tiger cross country coach Doug Root put together a new race course on Desert Canyon Golf Course this year, and he thought the meet went well.

"It was a very good meet with a new course this meet we'd never run. Some of the coaches were real happy with it, and there were three or four who thought it was too steep for this time of year, and that we should be running a flatter course this close to district, but I'm a firm believer of running hills, and I think it helps us get ready for district by running tough courses all year long, so I'm very pleased. We had 15 teams here today, almost 500 runners, and that's a lot of people to come to Mountain Home for a weekend."

The District III 4A Cross Country Meet is Friday at Eagle Island State Park, where Coach Root hopes for a good effort by his boys and girls.

"Brandon and Scott have a pretty good chance of qualifying through to state, I would think.

"The girls, if they'd ever bust out and really run one, and they're capable, if they'd average about a minute and a half faster apiece, we'd be right there in the hunt of things, and they're capable of dropping that little bit on a flat course, and Eagle Island's a flat course."