The MSMS cross-country team finished its third meet of the season on Sept. 27 at South Pontotoc High School with strong finishes from multiple runners.

Co-captain Nina Weinstein finished 34th overall in the girls’ 3-mile run with a time of 25:59.92, followed closely by senior Isabel Beckman, who placed 35th with a time of 26:05.71. Juniors Elissa Wang and Shaniya Williams rounded out the group, finishing 37th and 70th with times of 26:19.0 and 35:46.71, respectively.

The Frazer runners competed shortly afterward, earning seventh place overall. In the 3-mile final, juniors Ashton Wood and Levi Williamson placed 39th and 73rd with times of 20:32.16 and 24:28.87, respectively. Seniors Jasmaan Banipal, Spencer Goodlett and Anderson Chaney followed, finishing 34th, 41st and 49th with times 20:13.42, 20:43.73 and 21:11.52.

Coach Madison Jones said the team had a strong performance and she was glad to have state qualifiers.

“The team did really well! We all raced either personal records or very close to them,” Jones said. “I’m looking forward to having a lot of athletes at the state meet. Many of them are already qualified or very close to it, and they truly deserve it because they’ve worked so hard.”

Weinstein said the Goen team finished the race well. 

“[The Goen Runners] had a really good kick. All of us got top-finisher T-shirts, which was a super big accomplishment,” Weinstein said. “It was not only a time win, but a goal win, so that was a really good part of the race.”

Chaney said he had room for improvement and couldn’t wait for the next meet. 

“I felt good about our team, but I personally could’ve done better,” Chaney said. “For future meets, I’m looking forward to improving my personal time and our team’s time. Every meet is something to look forward to.”

Editor’s Note: Goen did not meet the five-runner minimum to qualify for a team result.