Lovell runners battle heat, winding Buffalo course

The Lovell High School cross country team traveled to Buffalo last Friday and faced more than just the competition.

The course, laid out through Buffalo’s city park and trail system, included a changing mix of grass, dirt and trails, along with a winding layout that made it difficult for runners to settle into an even rhythm. Heat added another challenge as the day went on, but Lovell coach Caleb Sanders said his athletes competed hard and continued to learn important lessons about racing.

“We had a lot of kids who did a good job,” Sanders said. “A lot of the goals for some of these kids was to run as much as possible, so they were trying to reduce the amount of walking.”

Aaiden Walker led the Lovell boys varsity runners, finishing 22nd out of 37 in 20:11. Sanders named Walker the team’s male runner of the week and said the race showed improvement in how he approached the course.

Walker was more intentional about controlling his early pace, Sanders said, slowing his first mile enough to spread out his effort and finish stronger. Considering the conditions and the layout of the course, Sanders felt the Buffalo race was as good as, or perhaps better than, the time alone suggested.

Oscar Garcia finished 30th in 21:58, while senior Hudsen Mickelson placed 31st in 23:22 in his first race of the season. Sanders said Garcia was running well before a side ache slowed him late in the race. Garcia is usually a smart runner who paces himself well and often runs his best mile at the end, making the finish a little unusual for him. Mickelson, who is in his third year with the program, used the race to get back into competition.

“It was a good start for him,” Sanders said. “It’s just good for him to get his feet wet and feel like racing again.”

Senior Candace Walker was Lovell’s lone girls varsity runner and finished 37th out of 39 in 28:57. Sanders called it a solid effort, though not her best race. Her time was comparable to the previous week at Billings, and the Buffalo course offered few long stretches for runners to establish a comfortable pace.

Lovell’s junior varsity runners provided several of the day’s highlights.

Freshman Macee Winterholler was named the team’s female runner of the week after placing eighth out of 27 JV girls in 27:12. Although her time was slower than it had been at Billings, Sanders felt she had a better overall race in Buffalo.

“The challenge is you can’t really get in the groove, you can’t get in the rhythm,” Sanders said of the course. “I thought she handled it really well. She seemed to run more determined this week.”

Bonnie Buchholz placed 16th in 29:17. Sanders said she had a tougher race and, like many runners, learned how quickly the heat can take its toll when an athlete starts too fast.

“In colder weather, you can get away with it,” he said. “But it seems to slam you in the middle of a race more.”

Rylee Mayes finished 25th in 33:52, a performance Sanders said was comparable to her race the week before. Kaylynn Mickelson made her cross country debut, finishing 26th in 35:50.

On the boys JV side, Ethan Hendershot led Lovell with a 13th-place finish out of 43 runners in 21:44. He was the team’s second-fastest boys runner overall behind Walker.

“Ethan ran really hard,” Sanders said. “I thought it was one of his better races.”

Dagan Reuter and Grant Rose finished side by side in the standings, placing 22nd and 23rd in 23:26. Reuter’s time was 27 seconds slower than his Billings performance, but Sanders said it was a strong race considering the heat and course conditions. Rose crossed the first timing strip ahead of Reuter but stopped briefly before the second strip, allowing Reuter to record the higher finish. Sanders said Rose knows he can improve his approach to racing in hot conditions.

Jackson Sanders placed 33rd in 24:18. Coach Sanders said Jackson ran with purpose and worked hard throughout the race, with the heat appearing to affect him less than some runners.

Sanders said the group has continued to work hard in practice, including recent 800-meter repeats, and he appreciates the attitude his runners have brought to the season.

“It’s a fun group because they don’t complain,” he said. “They’re available.”

The Lovell team will travel to Riverton on Thursday for its next meet at the Rendezvous grounds southeast of town. Sanders said the relatively flat, two-loop course can be dusty, but the Bulldogs enjoyed running there last year. The girls high school race begins at 4:30 p.m., followed by the boys high school race at 5:30 p.m.