On a picturesque August morning, the Little Giants Cross Country team hosted their annual Norm Bray Invite, attracting top talent from across the region. The competition was fierce, but the Little Giants showed heart and determination on their home course.
The girls’ race kicked off the event, with Lily Good of Toledo Whitmer emerging as the champion, clocking an impressive time of 19:20 over the 5000-meter course. Leading the charge for the Little Giants was Sophia Metcalf, who crossed the finish line first for her team in 22:23. Hot on her heels were Kennedy Walker with a time of 22:32, Ariana Hinojosa-Williams finishing in 23:12, and Malaya Hughes close behind at 23:31. Ella Lozano (24:45) and Kailani Long (24:49) rounded out the team’s scoring efforts. The girls’ strong performance secured them a commendable 3rd place finish in the team standings.
Next up were the boys, who faced stiff competition. Adrian Stechchulte from Findlay claimed the top spot, completing the course in a swift 16:08. Daniel “Boogie” Sanchez led the Little Giants, finishing 21st overall with a time of 18:30. He was closely followed by Adrian Ontiveros, who clocked in at 19:17. Andrew Tooman and LJ Gabel finished neck and neck, with times of 20:10 and 20:11 respectively, while Colin Rich completed the scoring for the Little Giants with a time of 20:21. The boys’ efforts earned them a solid 5th place finish as a team.
The Little Giants will return to action next Saturday as they compete in the annual Mel Brodt Invite at Bowling Green State University, where they’ll look to build on the momentum from this week’s strong performances.