Lakota East sophomore Alyssa Brown placed fifth at the Lebanon Running Warrior Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 5, finishing in 19:54.2. Her result led the Thunderhawks girls cross country team to a ninth-place finish among 36 teams at the meet in Lebanon.
The performance continues what the Lakota East athletics site called an "impressive start to the season" for Brown, who has emerged as the Liberty Township program's top runner this fall.
Junior Rachel Turner also turned in a standout day. Turner recorded a lifetime-best 26:25.4, running consistently from start to finish, according to the school's recap. The personal record gives the Hawks added depth heading into the middle of their schedule.
The meet, hosted by Lebanon High School at the Lebanon HS cross country course, drew dozens of programs from across the region, according to MileSplit Ohio. The 36-team girls field and 32-team boys field made it one of the larger early-season invitationals on the calendar.
The Lakota East boys cross country team also posted a strong showing at the same meet. Junior Jacob Turner placed fifth individually in 16:45.5, helping the Thunderhawks finish 12th among 32 teams, according to the school's boys recap. Senior Daniel Gibson added a season-best 18:32.9.
The top-five individual finishes from Brown and Jacob Turner on the same day give both programs momentum as the fall schedule picks up.
Both squads travel to the Little Miami Invitational on Saturday.
