PHS freshman Walker runs personal-best time at state

Pawhuska High School freshman Aubrie Walker ran a career-best time Saturday en route to a 38th-place finish in the Oklahoma 3A Cross Country championships.

Walker completed the 3,200-meter course at Shawnee’s Gordon Cooper Technology Center in 13:47.43 — shaving 23 seconds off her previous fastest time, PHS Stacy Bigeagle said.

“I think that’s pretty good — 38th at the state meet,” said Bigeagle, who this year revived a local cross country program that had been dormant for a decade. “And, she achieved the goal we’d set by running her best-ever time.”

The prodigious ninth-grader was the school’s lone representative in the finals, although Lady Huskie teammate Haley Mouser had qualified for the event at last week’s Regional meet at Chisholm.

Mouser did not compete in the state event because she already was scheduled to take the ACT college test, the Pawhuska coach said. A multi-talented junior, Mouser already has three state track-and-field medals to her credit.

The seven-member Lady Huskies’ squad — comprised of three juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen — finished seventh in the Regional team standings.

Pawhuska’s boys team (with two juniors, three sophomores and a pair of freshmen) placed ninth overall at Chisholm. Sophomores Tristen Tucker and Mattheu Rector led the way by finishing 23rd and 26th, respectively.

“With the runners that we’ll have returning, and some younger ones that are coming up, we should have two strong teams next season,” Bigeagle said.

Walker’s time at the state meet was two minutes and 12 seconds off the winning pace of Henryetta’s Daisy Van Meter. Marietta placed first in the 3A team finals, followed by Prague, Adair and Chisholm.

The top finisher for the boys, Colton Green, also was from Henryetta. His 5-kilometer time was 15 minutes, 34.85 seconds. Chisholm earned the boys’ team championship. Despite sweeping the individual titles, Henryetta placed ninth overall in both 3A divisions.