MIDDLEFIELD—Cardinal’s cross country course is known as one of the faster tracks in the area but the heat took its toll on the runners at the 2017 Cardinal Invitational on Saturday.
That didn’t stop Independence freshman Makenna McGhee from finishing fifth with a time of 20:06.
“It was really hot today, so it was good to drop my time a little,” McGhee said. “The course was a little flat, so it was better.”
McGhee prepared for the heat and also took advantage of the shaded areas in the woods during the race to finish near the front of the pack.
“I like to drink a lot of water but then in the woods it was a little easier because it’s cooler,” she said. “It’s easier to go faster. It feels good to get in the top, but you can always go better.”
Sophomore Emily Skoczen also recorded a top 10 finish with a time of 20:47, good for ninth place overall.
Junior Erica Esper (24:48), sophomore Izabell McGreevy (25:01), junior Emma Wensink (25:25) and sophomore Josie Lee (26:04) also competed for the Blue Devils.
Freshman Collin Patton paced the boys’ team with a time of 18:34 to finish 25th overall.
Freshman P.J. Oschmann (19:09), and sophomores Thorin Chappel (22:45) and Gregory Adams (30:04) also ran.



