MASON COUNTY
CROSS COUNTRY INVITATIONAL
2009
The 6th annual Mason County Cross Country Invitational will be held this Saturday at the US Bank/Mason County Indoor Track grounds, formerly the Jockey Manufacturing facility. The meet has grown dramatically over the past 6 years from a small local meet, to the second largest meet in number of entries, held this weekend in Kentucky outpaced only by the Trinity/Valkerie Invitational in Louisville. The meet boasts 36 teams and over 960 athletes entered in the weekend’s action.
This years competition is highlighted by a very strong boys field which includes a number of ranked teams. In AA #3 South Oldham, #4 Pendleton County and # 10 Ashland as well as locally ranked #11 Mason County will square off against meet favorite AAA # 6 Conner who will be for its third consecutive boy’s championship.
In girls it will be a question of whether anyone can touch the #1 ranked South Oldham team in AA. The challengers will be Scott County out of AAA and # 5 ranked Fairview in single A. Mason County, highly ranked in the pre season will be running again without sophomore Valerie Rice who is anticipating an October return to action for the Lady Royals after a knee injury rehab. Covington Scott High will also factor into the action with a talented group of runners.
Individually it looks like an inter team struggle between Connor’s Joey Brendel and Sean Vandermosten with Scott’s Brett Pierce in the hunt for the title. The girls race will also be a team struggle as South Oldham’s Freshman Grace Whitworth will be challenged by teammate Junior Jessie Murner and Fairview Freshman Brooklyn Bowen.
The middle school and 6th and under races will be heavily contested with large participation from Northern Kentucky and local schools. In the Middle School Ripley will be looking to continue its dominance while St. Joseph will be in the hunt to continue its dominance of the 6th and under races.