Baxter trio leads boys to team title at Woodward-Granger

GRANGER — After finishing 1-2-3 in its season-opening meet, the Baxter boys’ cross country team grabbed the team championship at the Woodward-Granger meet on Tuesday.

Matt Richardson, Max Handorf and Brecken Fisher were the first three finishers at Jester Park and the Bolts scored 34 points to win easily.

Grand View Christian was second with 63 points, while Clarke (73), Woodward-Granger (74) and West Marshall (81) completed the five-team field. The incomplete teams were CAM, Collins-Maxwell and Saydel.

The meet was originally scheduled for Aug. 26 but was postponed due to excessive heat.

“The boys ran very much like we expected.” Baxter head boys cross country coach Dennis Vaughn said. “We knew we’d be a good, solid team. That’s what they showed today. We were impressed with how they ran.”

The first four Bolts came across the finish line in the first 23 points positions.

Richardson won the boys’ 5K race in 17 minutes, 59.2 seconds. Handorf’s runner-up time was clocked in 18:10.1 and Fisher made his prep debut in third with a time of 18:30.8.

Maddox Peters finished 13th in 20:24.5 and Dakota Parker was the final counting scorer in 23rd. He posted a time of 21:17.2. The sixth and final finisher for Baxter was Logan Rainsbarger, who was 45th in 24:34.3.

Baxter had just one runner in the girls’ varsity field. Newcomer Makayla True was eighth overall with a time of 23:41.

“Makayla looked good. She looked strong throughout the race,” Vaughn said.

Collins-Maxwell’s Jayden Peters won the girls’ 5K race in 20:56.3 and Grand View Christian’s Lydia Ives was the runner-up in 21:40.1.

Grand View Christian won the team title with 30 points. West Marshall (51), Collins-Maxwell (60) and Woodward-Granger (91) completed the field. The incomplete teams were Baxter, CAM, Clarke and Saydel.