Athletes from north Arkansas delivered standout performances Thursday at the state cross country championships in Hot Springs, with runners from Mountain View, Viola, and Norfork earning top individual honors.
In the Class 3A girls' division, Mountain View secured fifth place in the team standings with 124 points. The Yellowjackets were led by Erin Akins, who captured the individual state title with an impressive time of 18:53.43. Teammate Baylor Treat also performed well, finishing fourth with a time of 21:17.81.
In Class 2A girls’ competition, Izard County earned ninth place in the team standings with 244 points, though none of their runners were among the top 20 individual finishers.
Viola's girls team earned a fourth-place finish in Class 1A with 95 points. Missy Wilson claimed the individual title in the division with a winning time of 21:57.38. Teammate Peyton James also contributed to the effort, finishing 12th in 26:05.36.
Among the boys, Melbourne placed 24th in the Class 3A team standings. Izard County's boys team finished 12th in Class 2A with 335 points.
In Class 1A boys’ competition, Norfork's Case Southard delivered a strong performance, finishing as the state runner-up with a time of 17:13.57. The individual championship in that category was claimed by Kirby's Alec O’Neal, who completed the race in 17:06.15.
The event marked the conclusion of the cross country season for the participating teams and athletes.