BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Keystone Heights High School is sending a boys team to regional competition in cross country for the eighth time in nine years after the Indians placed eighth at the District 2-2A meet, hosted by Jacksonville’s Bishop Kenny on Oct. 17.
The top eight teams earned the right to advance to the Region 1 meet, which will take place Friday, Oct. 28, at Jacksonville’s New World Sports Complex at 8:30 a.m.
Girls team member Olivia Griffin earned the right to advance as well. Her race (same date and locale) will begin at 8 a.m.
Keystone’s boys were led by Tyler Griffin, who placed 19th out of 140 with a time of 17:58. Griffin improved his time from last year’s district meet by approximately one minute.
Ryder Thomas improved his time from last year by 37 seconds, placing 33rd with a time of 18:52.
If the Indians hadn’t qualified as a team, Griffin and Thomas still would’ve advanced as they would’ve been among the top three individuals not on region-qualifying teams.
The Indians’ Shepherd Rozier and Jaden Park placed 66th and 69th, respectively, with times of 20:29 and 20:39.
Also competing for Keystone were Josiah Durrenberger (20:53), Anthony Peak (21:13) and Liam Callahan (22:55).
Peak and Thomas are only eighth-graders, while Durrenberger is a sophomore. The rest of the team is composed of juniors.
Olivia Griffin placed 53rd out of 125 in the girls race with a time of 24:02. She qualified for region-level competition by having the third-highest time among the top three individuals not on region-qualifying teams.
Griffin, an eighth-grader, improved her time from last year by 47 seconds.
Keystone also had the following compete in the girls race: Alexis Taylor (25:10), Kendall Gagnon (29:28), Ella Hutchins (30:11), Clara Beth Robinson (33:26) and Shaylyn Williams (37:28).
The girls team missed qualifying as a whole by two places.
