ASHLAND — Brailey Sloan could run with pain or not run at all.
The decision was easy for Lexington’s junior distance ace.
Sloan finished seventh in the Division I race during Saturday’s Ashland Cross County Invitational at Freer Field. She finished in 19 minutes, 41.4 seconds, helping Lady Lex to a runner-up finish.
Wadsworth won with a score of 54. Lexington finished with 86, followed by Parkersburg (95), Shelby (154) and Brecksville (156).
A two-time cross country All-Ohioan, Sloan has been suffering from a hip injury that flared up during the track season last spring. She could take two months off to rest, or try to manage the discomfort.
“Not running for two months is not an option because we’re trying to go for a state title,” Sloan said. “We need everybody to be healthy and strong. Even if I’m the third or fourth girl it’s OK because we have such a strong group of girls this year.”
Lexington was ranked third in the first Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches state poll, released earlier this week. Lady Lex is behind Minerva and Athens.
“I really want to bring home another title to Lexington,” Sloan said. “To get the girls on the podium is really important to me because I’ve been by myself on the podium for the past two years and I really want my girls up there with me.”
Sloan was followed across the finish line by Katya Prykhodko, who finished ninth in 19:56.4. Jenna Halfhill (20:21.2) was 12th, while Brynn Bruner (20:52.9) was 23rd and Hallie Durbin (21:58.5) was 40th.
Shelby was led by Anna Will, who was sixth in 19:38.9.
“I knew it was going to be lots of competition and I wanted to try to stay up with that front pack,” Will said. “I was trying to be in the 19:30s so I was really happy with that. I’m moving in the right direction.”
Emma Montgomery (20:45.5) finished 21st for the Whippets. Kendall Bowman (21:43.4) was 34th, while Emma Mahek (21:50.0) was 36th and Courtney Stiving (23:04.7) was 69th.
Shultz Shines
Loudonville’s Tess Shultz won the girls Division II/III race in 18:49.7, more than 40 seconds ahead of runner-up Riley Patrick of Mansfield Christian. MCS’s Meagan Them (19:37.5) was third and Crestview’s Leyna Gehrich (20:10.2) was fourth.
Crestview won the team title with a score of 37.
“I had a better race last week, but this was pretty good,” Shultz said. “This was a little bit slower than I expected, but I’m perfectly fine.”