Young harriers perform
Young harriers perform like seasoned veterans By MARVIN BAKER Parshall’s cross country teams completed their season Saturday in dramatic fashion at Hillcrest Golf Course in Jamestown, taking fourth in state in the boys division and seventh in the girls division. What’s even more impressive is that none of the Parshall runners in the top 100 in either division is a senior. Parshall’s top four runners in the girls division are all seventh and eighth graders, and Alexis Woods, a seventh grader, finished 10th overall, just one-tenth of a second behind Taylor Palmer of Griggs County Central. "Alexis has showed good potential all year as a seventh grader and she showed her ability and ran her best," said Braves head coach Harlan Johnson. "It was the race of they year and we didn’t know how she would react in a big-game situation." For her effort, Woods was selected for the All-State Class B cross country team. She was the only girl on the Parshall team to be recognized for that distinction. In the boys division, Justin Many Ribs, a junior and Kenny Wells, a freshman, finished third and fourth, respectively to gain the statewide respect they’ve deserved all season. The only two harriers to finish ahead of Wells and Many Ribs were Justin and Jeremy Grinnell, both seniors from New Town. In addition, Devin Yellow Wolf, Mandaree, finished fifth behind Wells. It means the top five finishers in Class B cross country reside within a 30-mile radius of southwestern Mountrail County. The young Parshall runners also made the best of a tough situation in Jamestown. Although the temperature was well into the 50s, wind gusts were pushing 50 miles per hour. "The wind was not a factor," Johnson said. "We’ve been running hills every week and it actually helped us." Johnson said he was sure Many Ribs and Wells would perform like statewide contenders. He said Wells was a floater between fourth, fifth and sixth and he was hoping that Wells would finish high, which he did.
