AREA YOUTH RUNNERS EXCEL AT USATF JUNIOR OLYMPIC XC CHAMPIONSHIPS (2023-12-12)

Southern Tier Sports Report
On Saturday the youth of Section IV cross country proved the future is indeed bright as eighth athletes competed for Soar Running Club at the USATF Junior Olympics Cross Country Championships at EP ‘Tom’ Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ky.

There were over 3,000 youth athletes who competed across the day’s races at the championships.

In the 9-10 boys race Patrick Ryan (Corning) ran against 363 runners to a new personal best in the 3K race with a 13:55 time.

In the 11-12 3K girls race, which had 411 athletes competing, Soar entered two athletes. Elmira sixth grader Molly Doran, and Corning 7th grader Abigail Wagner. Wagner led the way for Soar with a time of 12:28, while Doran finished in 14:03.

In the 11-12 3K boys race which saw 434 athletes competing four Corning athletes competed. Sixth grader Charlie Wukovitz (11:25 PR) led the way with the fastest time from the Niagara Region which covers Western New York. He was followed by teammates Isaac Ballard (11:36 PR), Connor Harrington (11:40 PR) and Andrew Miller (12:37) all seventh graders in Corning.

In the 13-14 4K girls race which includes 366 athletes, Odessa-Montour seventh grader Lexi Strobel ran to an over two-minute personal best in 17:55. It was a big drop for a runner that didn’t turn 13 until the day after the race.

Soar Running Club is a youth running program for the Southern Tier area which provides opportunities, guidance and education to area youth of all backgrounds to start and grow their interests in a healthy lifestyle. For more information people can go to soar.run.
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