All five of Platte County’s schools participated in the annual Tim Nixon Invitational at Liberty’s Capital Federal Sports Complex on Saturday, Aug. 31.
The event has occurred since 2017 and is named after the late Liberty cross-country coach. The race moved to the sports complex two years ago and features almost no up-and-down terrain and the park sits at the base of the Missouri River bluffs.
The varsity event featured two divisions, but both races were run simultaneously with Park Hill and Park Hill South competing in the Gold Division while Platte County R-3, North Platte, and West Platte were in the Silver Division.
Both of the Pirates’ teams finished in the top three with the boy’s team finishing runner-up behind Smithville and the girls finishing third behind Smithville and Kearney.
In the boys’ Silver Division race, the Pirates had two runners in the top three with junior Blake Herron finishing runner-up with a time of 16:12.7 and senior Tanner Jenks finishing third with a time of 16:17.5. Smithville’s Liam Adair won the race by more than 28 seconds with a time of 15:44.5.
Also finishing in the top 20 were North Platte junior Drake Keraus who finished ninth with a time of 17:18. Platte County junior Donavin Ness finished 11th with a time of 17:27.6 while teammate Landon McKinzie, a freshman, finished 18th with a time of 18:07.9. West Platte junior Noah Rees finished 15th with a time of 17:57.0 and North Platte freshman Bill Schaffart finished 19th with a time of 18:09.1.
Six ladies from Platte County schools finished in the top 25 led by North Platte junior Chloe Heckman who finished fourth with a time of 20:15.7 followed by her teammate senior Brianna BeBord who finished seventh with a time of 21:03.0. Platte County R-3 freshman Tyler Stambersky finished sixth with a time of 20:53.7 while teammates Madison Palmer a senior who finished 20th with a time of 22:08.6 and junior Maddie Stewart who finished 23rd with a time of 22:29.7. West Platte junior Payton Reber finished 21st with a time of 22:17.8.
Other boys’ runners who placed included: Pirates’ junior Elijah Jackson who finished 23rd with a time of 18:24.1; Blue Jays’ senior Jonah McGivern who finished 24th with a time of 18:27.1; Pirates’ senior Ethan Smith who finished 28th with a time of 18:36.5; Pirates’ sophomore Nicholas Flowers who finished 32nd with a time of 19:05.8; Pirates’ freshman Tate Stone who finished 35th with a time of 19:06.6; Panthers’ freshman Trey Heckman who finished 37th with a time of 19:16.7; Blue Jays’ sophomore Benjamin Pendergast who finished 42nd with a time of 19:35.2; Pirates’ sophomore Drake White who finished 47th with a time of 19:54.5; Panthers’ sophomore Devin Navarro who finished 49th with a time of 19:57.6; Pirates’ sophomore Giovanni Cucchiara who finished 65th with a time of 20:44.8; Panthers’ sophomore Jase Smith who finished 72nd with a time of 21:07.3; Blue Jays’ sophomore Wyatt Larsen who finished 79th with a time of 21:30.9; Blue Jays’ senior Thomas Deffet who finished 88th with a time of 22:41.3; and Blue Jays’ junior Cole Hinz who finished 94th with a time of 24:36.3.
In team scoring the North Platte boys’ team finished fifth while West Platte finished eighth.
Other girls’ runners who placed included: Blue Jays’ junior Addison Bailey who finished 29th with a time of 23:03.3; Pirates’ senior Alexia Myer who finished 32nd with a time of 23:15.6; Pirates’ junior Eleanor McCoy who finished 36th with a time of 23:35.5; Pirates’ junior Joanna Reil who finished 38th with a time of 23:40.3; Pirates’ freshman Arsema Ayiche who finished 39th with a time of 23:40.4; Pirates’ freshman Madison Fuller who finished 40th with a time of 23:43.6; Pirates’ senior Annabel Beeman who finished 42nd with a time of 23:56.6; Blue Jays’ sophomore Caroline Ransome who finished 43rd with a time of 23:59.9; Panthers’ sophomore Annabell BeBord who finished 45th with a time of 24:06.8; and Pirates’ junior Alexis Nielsen who finished 56th with a time of 24:56.0.
In the boys’ Gold Division race Park Hill South’s Thomas Garrett won the race with a time of 15:37.1. The junior’s time was more than 11 seconds faster than the second-place runner from Liberty.
Park Hill senior Jakob Johnston was also a top 10 finisher with a time of 16:20.5. South senior Benedict Yager finished 13th with 16:30.5, and junior Grant Windmeyer finished 15th with a time of 16:33.2.
On the ladies’ side South had two runners finish in the top 25 led by junior Madilynn Conklin who finished eighth with a time of 19:56.4 and junior Zoe Flook finished 25th with a time of 21:16.2.
Times for the top seven runners from each team were used for scoring. On the guys’ side Park Hill South finished fourth while the Trojans finished eighth. On the girls’ side South finished sixth while the Trojans finished eighth.
Other boys’ runners who placed in the race included: Park Hill senior John Mattivi who finished 27th with a time of 17:06.2; South junior Cole James who finished 28th with a time of 17:11.3; South junior David Meyer who finished 31st with a time of 17:15.8; South junior Simon Ketter who finished 38th with a time of 17:35.2; Park Hill senior Hudson Huff who finished 42nd with a time of 17:52.7; Park Hill senior Nathan Chen who finished 50th with a time of 18:03.8; South sophomore Eli Hurst who finished 54th with a time of 18:12.6; South senior Justin O’Brien who finished 55th with a time of 18:17.4; Park Hill sophomore Noah Jackman who finished 56th with a time of 18:21.6; South senior Zachary Hilzinger who finished 57th with a time of 18:24.8; Park Hill junior Robby Hannah-White who finished 63rd with a time of 18:42.2; and Park Hill sophomore Andre Garcia who finished 76th with a time of 19:54.3.
Other girls’ runners who placed in the race included: South senior Andrea Garcia who finished 36th with a time of 21:58.4; South senior Emilia Sinclair who finished 43rd with a time of 22:22.7; South senior Macy Strobel who finished 51st with a time of 22:52.6; South junior Lauren Bender who finished 55th with a time of 23:18.6; South senior Megan Humiston who finished 56th with a time of 23:29.0; Park Hill sophomore Stella Grothaus who finished 59th with a time of 23:59.1; Park Hill senior Reagan Kastner who finished 61st with a time of 24:34.2; Park Hill junior Annie Chambers who finished 63rd with a time of 24:47.6; South junior Sophia Osterhaus who finished 64th with a time of 25:08.9; Park Hill junior Sidney Hendrix who finished 66th with a time of 25:40.5; Park Hill sophomore Grace Miller who finished 67th with a time of 26:13.0; and Park Hill freshman Krischen Kennaley who finished 68th with a time of 26:14.6.