Jones, Holt do well on tough state course
Sports reporter
They came, they saw, and they ran.
On a near perfect day, Ryan Jones and Louis Holt represented Marion High School Saturday at the 3A state cross country meet at Wamego Country Club.
"That's the toughest course I've ever run," Jones said.
Still, the sophomore was just 15 seconds off his personal record, finishing the 5K race in 18 minutes, 26.27 seconds, taking 28th.
Jones said he had an idea he was around 20th during the race, and in the end he missed a medal by eight spots.
He said he had not had a chance to practice on the hilly course that is the site of the 1-4A state meet every year.
"It was just kind of going up there and running," he said.
Holt made a mad dash at the end of his race to finish just two seconds ahead of Hillsboro's Cody McMillen, a senior who took third at the El Dorado regional the week before.
Holt was 38th with a time of 18:48.10.
"I saw him and I started going as hard as I could, and I got it right in the end," Holt said.
Unlike Jones, Holt had no idea where he was in the race, but did agree with his teammate that it was the hardest course he has competed on during his career.
Although the sun was shining and the golf course at the country club was in pristine shape, the up and down course took on the true meaning of cross country.
"I knew it was going to be hard. It was hills after hills," Holt said. "Once you got done with one, there was another one."
With just two runners the Warriors could not compete for a team score, but the team, lacking a senior, does not lose anyone for the 2008 season.
