With high aspirations at state, the North Platte cross-country team is looking good late in the regular season.
North Platte freshman Drake Keraus took seventh place with a time of 19:28.33 in the Mound City Invite on Oct. 4.
North Platte traveled to Columbia to run on the state course, Gans Creek, when both the boys and girls came out on top on Oct. 8. While they both finished in first place, the Lady Panthers did it in more of a dominant fashion as they had four of the first eight overall finishers.
Chloe Heckman ran second overall on her first time at the course as the freshman crossed the finish line in 20:06.42. Brianna DeBord finished right behind Heckman third overall in 20:12.75.
Seniors Jessa Cassity and Shelby Lingle took sixth and eighth places with times of 20:29.75 and 21:04.92, respectively. Alaina Scroggins was the next Lady Panther to finish as the senior’s time of 22:45.14 was good for 21st place and Lonee French ended in 24th place with a time of 23:06.7.
In the boys’ race, Noah Heckman ran third overall in 17:27.75, followed by Josh Schaffart in seventh place with a time of 18:05.13 and Drake Keraus took 12th place as the freshman crossed the finish line in 18:56. Hunter Palmer finished in 33rd place, Mark Humes ended in 40th place and Waylon McCracken took 49th place.
North Platte also competed in the Mound City Invite on Oct. 4 when both the boys and girls won also. In the boys’ race, Heckman took first place overall – ending 16 seconds faster than the next runner – with a time of 17:34.39.
Schaffart was third overall with a time of 18:14.09 and Keraus claimed seventh place with a time of 19:28.33. Palmer was the 12th runner to cross the finish line when the freshman ended in 19:56.83 and Jackson Cassity finished in 29th place with a time of 22:56.29.
Cassity was right ahead of Wesley Meadows, who finished in 22:59.1. Wyatt Stapleton crossed the finish line in 23:49.08 to earn 37th place out of 53 runners.
In the girls’ race, Heckman was the second overall finisher as the freshman ended with a time of 20:57.95. Cassity, DeBord and Lingle all finished in the next three place in less than 22 minutes and Scroggins took 12th place.
North Platte will head to Platte Ridge Park next to take on the rest of the KCI Conference on Oct. 15. The Panthers will have the next week off before running at the same course for districts on Oct. 29.