AREA 9 CHAMPIONSHIP
Letcher Central and Harlan County Battle at Area 9
It was a Bear vs. Cougar fight at the 2013 Area 9 Meet at Harlan County High School on Oct. 19, as the host Black Bears battled Letcher Central for mountain supremacy. The end result after the varsity races was a draw, with the two teams alternating titles.
BOYS VARSITY
Despite Harlan County’s best performance of the season in its last home meet, the boys of Letcher Central earned its sixth straight Area 9 title.
Letcher’s Chase Cates started the season with an injury, but he showed on Saturday that he has fully recovered. He kicked out to an early lead, cresting the big hill at the HCHS course at 7:10. His teammate Trevor Wayne followed at 7:29, with Harlan Independent’s Mason Miller at his heels at 7:34 and Cougar Dylan Burton at 7:39. Harlan County’s Corey Hornsby and Pikeville’s Dalton Stanley came next.
In the final stretch, Cates and Wayne led the charge, while Stanley surged past Burton and Miller. Cates finished first with a course record of 17:36, with Wayne second at 18:37 and Stanley third with a time of 18:45. Miller was fifth at 19:08, and Letcher’s Bobby McKenzie had a strong kick to come out of nowhere for a sixth place finish with a 19:24 time. A trio of Harlan County runners came in next: Caleb Bailey (19:29), Hornsby (19:38), and Steven Engle (19:41). Letcher’s Judson Collins completed the top ten at 19:59.
The LCC Cougars topped team standings with 21 points, followed by the host Black Bears with 42 and Pikeville at 73. Runners from East Ridge and Perry Central also participated.
GIRLS VARSITY
The Harlan County Lady Bears chose their last home meet as a coming out party, as they fielded numerous personal records to win their second straight Area 9 crown.
Kaitlyn Stittums, first-year phenom for HCHS, broke away from the pack at the beginning of the race and never looked back. She had a steady lead heading into the hill, with Letcher Central’s Leanna Bryant chasing her. Lady Bear Allison Cornett followed, with teammates Samantha Howard and Katie Graham surging with their best times of the season. A pack of Letcher Lady Cougars—Keisha Balthis, Ally Damron, and Grayson Collier—came next. Cornett and Graham would soon overtake Bryant heading into the final stretch.
Stittums sprinted to a personal record 22:33 finish for first place, followed by teammates Cornett (22:59) and Graham (23:28). Lady Cougars Bryant (23:37) and Balthis (23:47) followed, with HC’s Howard (23:54) finishing next.
Harlan County avenged a loss to Letcher two weeks ago in the Chuck Vitatoe Invitational, claiming the team title with 20 points, with Letcher second at 36. Runners from Pikeville and Perry Central also participated but did not field complete teams.
JUNIOR VARSITY
Letcher Central’s Blake Watts claimed the JV title with a 21:57 time, ahead of teammate Casey Billiter at 22:43. June Buchanan’s Colton Jacobs finished third at 23:08.
On the girls’ side, Casey Trout of Letcher won at 26:24, with Harlan County’s Madison Blanton (26:49) in second. Letcher’s Kiley Short finished third with a time of 27:32.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
In the Middle School 3K, Pikeville’s Adam Swofford took individual boys’ honors with a time of 12:27, followed by Nick Spangler of Letcher Central at 12:50. Grayson Raleigh of Harlan County was first on the girls’ side with a 16:28 time, and her teammate Megan Witt finished second at 17:36.
ELEMENTARY
Matthew Brown of the host Black Bears won the Elementary run for boys, followed by Story Miller of Harlan Independent. Letcher Central’s Bailey Kincer placed first in the girls’ race, with Harlan County’s Ariel Madden second.