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Sawin leads ’Jackets to Wood County Middle School cross country championship

Angelos sets new meet record

Williams-town’s Natalie Sawin helped the Yellowjackets defend their Wood County Middle School cross country championship Tuesday in Mineral Wells. Sawin won the title with a time of 10 minutes, 47 seconds. Photo by Jay W. Bennett

MINERAL WELLS — Wood County Christian’s Franklin Angelos continued his dominance here Tuesday evening and Natalie Sawin also topped the field to help lead the Williamstown girls to a resounding team win in the annual Wood County Middle School cross country championships.

Angelos, who has now tasted victory in eight of the nine races he’s competed in this season, crossed the finish line in a speedy 9 minutes and 20 seconds to establish a new meet record. It’s the sixth new meet record for the eighth-grader in 2017.

“This is a good feeling,” admitted Angelos, who finished second last year to Hamilton’s Keegan Barnette. “It was a little hot, but it wasn’t as bad as some races. It was just hot. It wasn’t humid or anything.”

Sawin clocked in at 10 minutes and 47 seconds to top fellow Yellowjacket Chloe Lightfritz (10:53) and third-place Payton Harvey of Hamilton (11:08). The Yellowjackets defended their team crown by besting Hamilton, 22-49.

“Last year I was second here to (then teammate) Ella Hesson,” said Sawin, who was joined by scoring teammates Brookelyn Reynolds (4th, 11:18), Brianna Winsett (7th, 11:30) and Emma Berman (8th, 11:43). “I’ve ran cross country since sixth grade, but I also do softball.

Wood County Christian’s Franklin Angelos set a new meet record at the Wood County Middle School cross country championship Tuesday in Mineral Wells. Angelos’ time was 9 minutes, 20 seconds. Photo by Jay W. Bennett

“I thought I was going to do pretty good. I think I could’ve gone faster. Some of my teammates, they are really fast too and I had to worry about them. They are always like close behind me.”

The closest competitor to Angelos was runner-up Dawson Winsett of Williamstown (10:17).

“I want to make sure, like, you don’t get a big head and think you’re going to win this no matter what,” Angelos replied when asked about his mindset coming into races. “You still have to come out here and do your best.”

The Blennerhassett boys nipped Edison, 48-60, for the team crown and that put an end to Hamilton’s three-year stranglehold on the top spot.

Zach Parsons’ fifth-place effort (10:36) was the top showing for the Bobcats, who also got a top 10 finish from Brody Cochran (7th, 10:41). The top 10 boys and girls were named all-Wood County.

Yellowjacket girls Elecia Thomas (9th, 11:49) and Reagan Ortiz (10th, 11:51) also nabbed all-Wood County accolades along with Edison’s Sydney Jeffery (5th, 11:21) and Hamilton’s Allie Felkner (6th, 11:29). Also joining Harvey and Felkner in team scoring were Wildcats Mya Barrett (11th), Allison Davis (17th) and Abby Broadwater (18th).

Runner-up Edison was led by the third-place finish of Trenton Jones (10:19). Also scoring for the Eagles were Dominick Walleshauser (11th), Miciah Jones (16th), Mackaih Claudio (17th) and Jeremiah Blackwell (18th).

Also earning all-Wood County spots for the boys were Williamstown’s Zachary Cannon (4th, 10:33), Jackson teammates Chase Trembly (6th, 10:37) and Matthew Mauzy (10th, 10:57) as well as Hamilton teammates John Swarr (8th, 10:56) and Matt Thornton (9th, 10:57).

Jackson Dearth (12th), Evan Barker (14th) and Nathan Plotner (15th) also had their finishes count for the champion Bobcats.

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