The Mount Pleasant cross-country teams competed in the Mike Darby Invitational at Pine Tree last weekend bringing home more hardware for the fourth straight meet.  The varsity boys finished in second place with two top ten individual finishers and the JV girls took the championship with three top ten finishers.

Lee Davis continues to pace the Tigers finishing 7th overall with a time of 16:53 in the 5000-meter run.  Geovanni Calderon placed 10th overall posting a 17:06.1 time and Christopher Escobar placed 20th at 17:36.5.  Other finishers were Gilberth Landaverde (30th – 17:57.3) and Enrique Marrufo (34th – 18:04.1). Mount Pleasant finished second to Eustace but in front of district foes Pine Tree, Longview, Hallsville, Whitehouse, Texas High, and Tyler.

The JV boys took 10th place with Aidyn Botello finishing 2nd overall at 18:41.  David Buendia finished in 19th at 19:59.2.  Other finishers were Andrew Gonzalez (79th – 21:39.1), Saul Alvarado (87th – 21:56.1), Gabriel Garza (125th – 23:11.6), Axel Contreras (126th – 23:13.2), Noah Trimm (192nd – 26:15), Joey Dunn (195th – 26:27.3), and Skylar Guereca (198th – 26:37.8).

Briana Gonzales led the way for the JV girls finishing in 2nd place with a time of 14:42.2 along with Marlyne Mendez in 4th place with a time of 14:51.  Lizbeth Alvarez notched an 8th place finish crossing the line at 15:00.9.  Other finishers were Abigail Retana (12th – 15:30.6), Karen Hernandez (16th – 15:37.8), Jennifer Luna (37th – 16:31.6), Jasmine Landaverde (40th – 16:34.9), Atalee Gonzalez (105th – 18:33.2), Audrie Mendoza (111th – 18:41.5), and Leilani Jimenez (132nd – 19:27.5).

Both teams will compete in Sulphur Springs this weekend before returning home for the Titus County Fair Invitational at Sam Parker Field on October 1.

By Drew Barkley