Bears are winners in Middlesboro race
Published 10:45 pm Wednesday, October 17, 2018
<p>Drew Fritz | Daily News</p> <p>Runners took off from the starting line on Tuesday in a race at Middlesboro. Harlan County won the boys team title and finished second in the girls race.</p>
<p>Drew Fritz | Daily News</p> <p>Harlan County’s Josh Lee (center) placed second in a meet Tuesday at Middlesboro, leading the Bears to the team title.</p>
If their final regular season tuneup was any indication, the Harlan County Black Bears are peaking at exactly the right time.
With region just 11 days away, a number of Bears turned in their best performances of the season in an all-comers meet Tuesday at Middlesboro.
“We have definitely closed the regular season on a high note, coming off our two best performances of the season. I’m really proud of how hard we’ve raced,” Harlan County coach Ryan Vitatoe said. “The amount of PRS the last two races speak for themselves. The kids are dialed in and really focused, both boys and girls.
“Now is the time to buckle down and get ready to make a push for the state meet. I’m hopeful all the close calls are in our mind from last year and we go in with the goal to leave no doubt.”
The boys rolled to a 30-point victory over second-place Williamsburg, again behind solid performances from the veteran trio of Josh Lee, Caleb Brock and Zack Carmical. Lee, a senior, finished second overall with a time of 18:11.50. He was followed immediately by Brock (18:16.72) and Carmical (18:41.47). Daniel Joseph (19:17.84) and Cooper McHargue (19:22.63) finished 11th and 12th, respectively. Rounding out the Bears’ results were Matt Yeary (14th, 19:40.47), Sean Cooper (20th, 20:28.81), Breydy Daniels (37th, 22:06.44), Lucas Epperson (38th, 22:12.15), Shaun Warren (49th, 23:09.85) and Joseph Gordon (69th, 31:10.31).
Charles David Morton was 33rd for Harlan with a time of 21:27.26.
The Harlan County girls took second place, with a pair of eighth-graders leading the way. Cadance Ferguson finished third overall with a time of 23:12.02, and Caitlyn Rice (26:22.65) was 14th. Rounding out the team’s results were Abby Vitatoe (17th, 27:02.59), Baili Boggs (27:07.96), Jasmine Hill (20th, 27:13.96), Katelyn Hensley (23rd, 28:34.87), Lainey Garrett (24th, 29:09.75) and Hailey Madden (32nd, 40:00.18).
Harlan junior Lucy Bryson was fourth with a time of 23:22.20, and Ella Morton (25:10.93) finished 11th.
Haylee Couch finished second in the girls middle school race, posting a time of 17:24.00. Mary Gross (19:40.84) and Taylor Clark (20:39.62) finished fifth and seventh, respectively. Andrew Yeary was third in the boys race with a time of (14:00.97).
Harlan County swept the individual wins in the elementary race. Kaydie Coots won the girls race with a time of 12:50.50, while Tanner Daniels (8:55.28) was the boys winner. Dashaun Smith (third, 9:28.95), Bradley Brock (fourth, 10:07.15), Luther Gross (fifth, 10:50.89) and Ethan Lewis (seventh, 11:29.86) also ran for the Black Bears.
The elementary and middle school runners will participate in the Meet of Champions in Lexington on Saturday. The varsity squad will travel to Wayne County on Oct. 27 for the Class 3A Region 7 meet.
