The DeKalb County Middle School cross country team continued their dominance this past week as they showed out at home, tagging a third consecutive title while the boys’ team stepped up to claim second in the invitational.

High schools and middle schools from surrounding counties came to race the 2 and 3.1 mile courses.

The girls’ squad took first out of four teams with six local runners placing in the top 15.  Out of a field of 44 runners, Ella Van Vranken was the overall winner of the girls’ race with a time of 12:26 with Zoe Keys  on her heels as she placed placed 2nd overall, clocking in with a time of  12:54. Katherine Knowles was fourth with a  13:26 while she could hear the footsteps of Mylie Phillips who was fifth with a time of 13:54. Madeline Martin was seventh at 14:04 while Sydney Polk finished 14th, stooping the clock at 15:45. The rest of the middle school field included Summer Morse 17th: 16:25, Maleah Ruch 20th: 16:36, Candice Rico 24th:  16:53, Sadie Moore25th:  16:59, Sylvia Evans 31st:  17:43 and Mara Oakley 44th:  18:53.

The DMS boys placed 2nd as a team, with Kaleb Spears as the overall champion with a time of 12:24.  Out of a field of 40 runners, the DeKalb boys had five of their runners in the top 15.

Ian Colwell  clocked in at seventh with a time of 13:01 while Caleb Gray was in his slip stream at 13:24. The remainder of the boys’ field was Cale Brown 12th: 14:05, Dylan Cathey 13th: 14:10, Sam Harris 21st: 15:08, Carson Tramel 25th:  15:29, Ethan Spears 31st: 17:58, Freddy Oberdier 32nd:  17:59, Jackson Hodges 34th:  18:02 and Mason Taylor 39th: 20:23

On the high school level of the Smithville meet, there were 11 other high schools in attendance. The boys’ team won 2nd overall and this was the highest overall award the team has ever gotten. Also three of the boys received a medal and five  got a PR. Those achieving a medal for the top 15 were Aaron Gottlied - 18:23, Bryan Godinez- 19:10 and Luke Jenkins- 19:20.