Article and Photos by Steven Hendrixson, MHS Student Writer
On Saturday, the Lions got up early and traveled to Shelbyville to take part in the annual Dacey Trail Invitational. General Dacey Trail is a dense bike trail with narrow paths and multiple gentle, rolling hills.
With the course being in a forest, most of the race was shaded by tall trees. Unlike other courses that are traditionally run on grassy surfaces, Dacey Trail is a course run completely on gravel, meaning that most runners choose to wear their trainers or racing flats rather than their actual racing spikes. It is a 2-loop course that provides a moderate challenge to beginners and veterans alike, with the hills designed as a changer to a runner’s pace.
Both the boys’ and girls’ teams had great success in the early morning.
Grace Thompson led the way for the Lady Lions, where she placed 10th with a 19:39 time. Addie Nave and Myah Boyd also medaled for the Lions, with Nave placing 17th with a 21:12.74 time and Boyd placing 26th with a 21:58.41 time. Freshman Olivia Moseley also ran well, finishing with a 24:00.66 time to place 36th.
On the boys side, senior Steven Hendrixson led the squad, running a 17:26 time to finish 24th and medal; senior Thomas Weber placed 37th with an 18:30.43 time; Bricyn Cassagne placed 52nd with a 19:02.72 time; Henry Arthur finished 67th with a 20:22.78 time; Charlie Fox ran a 21:01.52 time to place 84th; and Cooper Crumrin finished with a 24:01.75 time to finish 108th.
The boys had a respectable collective performance, placing 8th out 13 teams with a score of 206 points.
Standout runner Madeleine Fox traveled to Peoria to take part in the First to the Finish Invitational, where she placed 8th out of 513 individuals in the Class 1A race.
The girls’ team will travel to St. Joseph, Illinois on Saturday, September 26th to run in the Spartan Classic.
Steven Hendrixson
Bricyn Cassagne
Henry Arthur
Thomas Weber
Steven Hendrixson with his medal