Airedales’ Kangas places seventh at the 5A-West race

By Kevin Taylor 

Alma Schools 

Like she’s done countless times, Alma junior Nevaeh Kangas saved her best for last. 

The Lady Airedales’ cross country runner placed seventh in Tuesday’s 5A-West meet at Alma High School. 

Kangas finished at 20:02.73, which was her best time of the fall. She previously finished the Alma Invitational on Sept. 28 at 23:59.54. 

Also, her previous best time of the season was 20:35.88 at the Chaffee Strong race on Sept. 7. 

Kangas and the Lady Airedales finished sixth overall in Tuesday’s meet with 161 points. 

Russellville’s Paxtin Lawlis won the event by shattering the previous course record by three minutes. Lawlis ran a 19:17.07, breaking Lakyn Shofner of Elkins’ mark of 22:39.85. 

The Lady Cyclones won the 5A-West meet with 22 points, some 34 points ahead of runner-up Mountain Home. 

Alma teammates Mayra Araujo and Jasmine Martin finished 44th and 45th, respectively. Alma’s Tori Muszanski was 53rd in Tuesday’s meet with a time of  25:55.13. She previously ran the Alma Invitational in 27:56.19. 

Also for the Lady Airedales, Aleeze Williams and Sarah Grimmit finished 61st and 69th, respectively. 

Freshman Zoey Kangas and junior Lily Fimple were 72nd and 73rd, respectively. 

Alma’s Samuel Haig placed 46th in Tuesday’s conference meet. Teammates Caleb Bowen, Trace Muszanski, Isaac Wald, Michael Haughton, and Lucas Wald finished 70th, 71st, 73rd, and 75th, respectively. 

The Airedales’ Sean Brister and Brayden Standley placed 81st and 87th, respectively. 

Mountain Home’s Jackson Free set the Alma course record with a first-place finish of 15:28.12, smashing Siloam Springs’ Gaige Thompson’s Alma Invitational time of 18:58.19. 

The Bombers won the meet with 25 points. Alma was seventh.