By Don Nelson
For the second consecutive year, the Liberty Bell High School girls’ cross-country team brought home the first-place trophy from the Leavenworth Invitational last weekend, outrunning 18 other teams from both sides of the Cascades.
The boys’ team, shorthanded with some of its top runners not available, took 13th place among 27 competing schools.
Liberty Bell sophomore Novie McCabe took first place in the girls’ varsity/junior varsity race over a 2.8-mile course, as the Lady Lions placed five runners among the top 25 finishers: sophomore Gretta Scholz in fifth, junior Ella Kuzyk in 12th, junior Athena Milani in 15th and junior Icel Sukovaty in 25th.
Liberty Bell scored 55 points to Shorecrest’s 76 to claim the winners’ trophy. Shorecrest had the second- and third-place finishers, but the Lady Lions’ depth prevailed.
“The kids ran some tough and gritty races on fairly tired legs,” Liberty Bell coach Erik Brooks said.
Sophomore Walker hall was the top finisher for the boys in 22nd place. Other scorers for the Mountain Lions were freshman Ian Delong, 40th, junior Simon Studen, 71st, junior Lazo Gitchos, 118th, and junior Nick Fitzmaurice, 133rd.
The Liberty Bell middle school girl’s team took second place among five schools with complete teams, and the middle school boys were third among six full teams.
Liberty Bell has one more meet — the Oroville Invitational on Friday (Oct. 13) — before the championship part of the season begins at the CWB League meet on the Mountain Lions’ home course on Oct. 21. It’s Liberty Bell’s only home meet of the year.
District championships are on Oct. 28, and the state meet is on Nov. 4. Last year, the Liberty Bell girls took first place at state, and the boys’ team finished second.
Leavenworth Invitational results
Girls’ JV and varsity, 2.8 miles
1. Novie McCabe
5. Gretta Scholz
12. Ella Kuzyk
15. Athena Milani
25. Icel Sukovaty
56. Mia Stratman
61. Keeley Brooks
68. Eva Weymuller
72. Lindsay Worrell
114. Lena Nelson
Boys’ varsity, 2.8 miles
22. Walker Hall
40. Ian DeLong
71. Simon Studen
118. Lazo Gitchos
133. Nick Fitzmaurice
148. Peter Aspholm
175. Travis Grialou
Boys’ JV, 2.8 miles
40. Andrew Kominak
59. Tim Haley
117. Galen Fonda
118. Erick Lopez
