Raider Cross Country competes at Shepherd BLUEJAY Invite

The Portland High School cross country teams were back in action on Saturday at the Shepherd BLUEJAY Invitational, competing in a deep field of over 20 teams. Despite missing a few key runners due to injuries, the girls’ team showed toughness and determination throughout the race. Leading the way were three seniors: Lauren Spitzley, who finished in 23:31, Veda Smith at 25:07, and Claire Lyon at 26:18. Also contributing strong efforts were freshman Addison Cody with a time of 30:19, senior Abby Seavey at 30:47, junior Peyton Rockey at 33:35, and senior Brynn Nelson, who crossed the line in 34:10. Each runner gave their all and showed great team spirit in the face of adversity.

On the boys’ side, the team put together an impressive performance, placing 8th out of 20 teams. Senior Andrew Feldpausch led the way with a top 10 finish, running a strong 16:48. He was followed by sophomore Donnie Richmond at 17:47, Owen Moore at 18:08, Aaron Martinson at 18:26, and James Feldpausch, who ran a personal record of 19:33, cutting 13 seconds from his previous best. The rest of the boys’ squad continued to show improvement, with Aiden Espinoza recording a 3-second personal best in 23:12, Tanner McNair finishing close behind at 23:17, and Tate Kidder setting a 16-second PR with a time of 23:23. It was a solid day of racing for both teams, and they will be back in action Tuesday at the CAAC White Jamboree #2 at Grand Woods Park.

Courtesy photo.