Cross country season opens at Newcastle

The Sundance Bulldog cross country team opened its 2022 season competing in the Newcastle Invite on Thurs., Aug. 25.

Four competed in the varsity/junior varsity boys 5000-meter race. Sophomore Angel Villegas finished 13th in the varsity division with a time of 22:07.33.

Sophomore Wyatt Flahaven finished in a time of 24:23.51. The lone Bulldog senior, Kort McLaughlin, crossed the finish line in a time of 24:55.89, while his brother, sophomore Jager McLaughlin, finished in a time of 25:13.09.

Four new junior high runners join the Bulldog team this season. Seventh-grader Rylan Asheim finished the 2500-meter middle school race in a time of 14:08.11.

Eighth-grader Maddison Neiman placed fourth in the 8th-grade division with a time of 13:22.83. Sixth-graders Eva Stark and Remmington Johnson finished in times of 14:07.8 and 14:55.2, respectively.

Stark placed fourth in the sixth-grade division, while Johnson placed seventh in the sixth-grade division.

“I was surprised by the race. I competed better than I thought I would,” Villegas said. “The junior high really showed up for their meet, performing well.”

Coach Ann Marie Mickle noted the junior high performances, as well.

“The junior high girls raced well for their first time on a course,” Mickle said. “It is apparent all the miles this summer are paying off for the junior varsity and varsity athletes.”

The Bulldogs compete in the Northern Hills Invite Friday, Sept. 2 in Spearfish and travel to Big Horn on Sept. 9.