On Saturday, Sept. 13, the boys and girls cross country teams headed to Roanoke to compete in the 2025 Clash With The Titans race. The boys team placed fourth out of 15 teams, while the girls came in at sixth out of 10 teams. 

Leading the boys team was junior Lincoln Steele, placing 22nd with a time of 20:02 on the 5k course. Second on the team was junior Oscar McClung, and rounding out the top three was sophomore Hudson Saunders.

The hills and tight spaces led to challenges that the runners had to work around. Plus, a wasp nest had fallen right in the middle of the course, and the course had to be modified to work around it. As a result of the course change, the full distance ended up being longer than the typical 5k distance. 

“It was really hilly, longer than a 5k, and it was not the most pleasant race,” Saunders said.

As for the girls, freshman Reagan Imler led the way with a time of 24:17, good for 11th place on the hilly 5k course. Senior Dorothy Lewis came in second, and senior Kate Holston rounded out the top three.

“The race was a little tricky, because they found a hornets nest on the course and had to reroute it, which added about another quarter mile. But, we adjusted easily and were able to power our way through this very difficult hilly course!” Lewis said. 

The next meet for the ‘Cats is scheduled for Sept. 24 in Covington, Va., at the Alleghany Shenendoah Quad.