Numerous MSMS cross-country runners set personal records Saturday at the Mooreville Invitational meet held at the Hussey Sod Farm.
Senior co-captain Gavin Weinstein ran a 17:06.62 5K, securing fifth place and a new personal record in the event. Not far behind, senior Dylan Wiley crossed the finish line in seventh place with a personal best of 17:46.60, shattering his previous record of 19:11.07. Junior Daniel Van secured 24th with a time of 19:52.43.
Weinstein and Wiley were not the only ones who broke their personal best times: All runners made significant improvements from their results at the Aug. 23 Eagle Claw Invitational in Eupora. The Frazer team finished in sixth place out of the 23 schools competing in the 5K, scoring 202 points with an average time of 19:17.
Weinstein said he felt both joy and surprise at his personal record.
“This race was not only my first time running under 18 minutes in the 5K but also my first chance of closing in on a sub-17-minute 5K,” Weinstein said.
Wiley said there was strong synergy and passion within the team.
“The smile on my teammates’ faces; the passion in our unity; you couldn’t say you didn’t feel the tides of the Blue Waves washing over you,” Wiley said.
This sentiment of unity was echoed by junior Ramse Jefferson, who highlighted the supportive role of senior teammate Ean Choi.
“Ean encouraged me to keep going and paced me throughout the race, significantly impacting my performance,” Jefferson said.
For Goen, junior Brooke Anderson led with a time of 30:28.04, followed by senior Audrey Guynes, who clocked in at 30:37.06, trimming off three minutes from her previous time.
Guynes said the meet posed a mental challenge.
“[I] could not see exactly where [I was], which made it difficult for me as [I had to] to keep up the pace, knowing there was much longer to go,” Guynes said.
Juniors also experienced moments of personal growth and teamwork.
Junior Lucas Griffith said he is looking to meet personal benchmarks and continue growing the bond between his teammates and himself.
“My goals for this season are to run a sub-19-minute 5K and to build more stamina,” Griffith said. “Being part of the cross-country team has allowed me to form closer relationships with my classmates and see cool parts of Columbus, as well as other Mississippi towns.”
The MSMS cross-country team’s next meet is 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Saltillo High School.
