Lawrence’s Schwartz takes 4th in Manhattan Invitational boys cross country race, leads Lions to 5th place team finish

Lawrence High boys cross country team took fifth at the Manhattan Invitational on Friday, Sept. 6 at Warner Park in Manhattan.

Lawrence junior Oliver Schwartz led the way with a fourth-place finish, running a time of 16:35.3. Schwartz was the first running in the second pack of finishers after Seaman’s Brody Anderson (15:11.5), Washburn Rural’s Henry Laubach (15:43.4) and Wamego’s Peyton Parker (15:54.4). He finished five seconds ahead of the fifth-place finish, Washburn Rural’s Brooks Kehoe, who was followed by five runners crossing the finish line over the next eight seconds.

Junior Riley Swart reached the finish line next for the Lions, with the team’s next four runners joining him in short order. Swart took 27th with a time of 17:45.8, followed by sophomore Logan Druen in 29th with a 17:50.0. Junior Garrett Rhea took 32nd with 18:05.7 while senior Conner Popp crossed at 18:08.5 to take 34th. 

Senior Paul Radley finished off the tight 2-5 pack with a 18:12.2 in 36th. Junior River Cunningham rounded out the team’s runners in the boys race with 19:28.2 in 48th place.

Lawrence finished with a 17:42 average, with a 119 score for their top five runners. The Lions finished behind Washburn Rural with a 50, Wamego with a 52, Olathe Northwest with a 69 and Manhattan with a 82.

Lawrence took sixth in the girls race, led by senior Andie Garrett’s 15th-place finish with a time of 20:22.2.

Sophomore Chloe Griffith crossed the finish line next at 22:29.1 to take 30th, followed closely behind by senior Juliet Outka who was a spot back with a time of 22:30.0.

Sophomore Annabella Ackerman started the next wave of Lions to cross, earning 42nd with 24:08.3. Junior Hayley Swart finished 43rd with a 25:03.0. Sophomore Tessa Sanders rounded out the team’s results by taking 46th with a 25:38.9.

The Lions had a 22:46 with a top-5 low score of 147. They finished behind Manhattan at 31, Washburn Rural at 52, Olathe Northwest at 95, Wamego at 102 and Shawnee Mission North at 107.

Both teams will turn their attention to the Emporia Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 13 at Jones Park in Emporia.

Matt Schwartz