Senior Avery Sager broke the Durant school record and took top honors for the second straight year in winning the Oklahoma 5A Public School Invitational last Saturday in Guthrie.
Sager led the Lady Lions to a third-place team finish in the prestigious event while the Durant boys took seventh.
Overall there were 116 runners in the girls division and Sager claimed the crown with a time of 19 minutes, 4.73 seconds, which was one of eight personal best times for the DHS squad.
Elizabeth Hitchcock earned medalist recognition as well by taking 18th with a personal best 20:45.90. Grace Morrison checked in 30th at 21:44.68, Laynee Emert took 32nd in 21:49.68, Caitlyn Ortega added a 22:27.65 for another personal best with Kyah French checking in 47th with a 22:48.26.
Also placing for the Lady Lions were Katelyn Hitchcock, 52nd (22:56.04); Judi Free, 62nd (23:38.17); Aubri Hixon, 76th (24:12.57); and Ellery George, 99th (26:26.26).
Zach Ervin was the Lion catalyst in the event with an eighth place medalist mark of 16 minutes, 56.6 seconds. Hudson Phillips was another DHS medalist, taking 15th with a personal best mark of 17:18.79.
The remainder of the Durant placers all scored personal best marks that included Isaiah Hall, 42nd (18:23.66); Blake Rhynes, 53rd (18:41.02); Kason Ford, 56th (18:43.66); Hudson Lee, 80th (19:47.99); Rylan Marsh, 87th (19:58.12); Noah Brumley, 106th (21:11.02); and Logan Wyrick, 109th (21:26.25).
Both Durant squads are scheduled to be back in action in the OBU Invitational later this week in Shawnee.
