Loewe improves on fastest 5-kilometer cross country effort in Arkansas prep history by running 17:03.1 to also eclipse meet record, with Wingard clocking 17:08.2, and Leopards become first girls program with consecutive titles since Keller of Texas achieved three-peat in 2016-18; Rivera triumphs in boys competition in 15:08.9, with Deer Creek securing team crown

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

During a schedule that featured a pair of “El Caliente” races for each gender Saturday at the 35th edition of the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival, it was only fitting that Haley Loewe of Bentonville High in Arkansas and Lucas Lovejoy from Texas became two-time champions at Agri Park in Fayetteville.

And their performances were twice as impressive and impactful as last season.

Loewe not only eclipsed the meet record, but also lowered the fastest 5-kilometer girls cross country mark in Arkansas prep history by clocking 17 minutes, 3.1 seconds to win the first of two sections.

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Loewe, a Tennessee commit, then patiently waited another 45 minutes, before watching sophomore Macy Wingard of Denton Braswell in Texas triumph in the second section in 17:08.2,

Loewe, who prevailed last year in 17:20.5, took down the 2018 meet standard of 17:06.8 achieved by London Culbreath of McKinney North High in Texas when she competed in the women’s college race.

Chelsey Sveinsson from Greenhill High in Texas had produced the fastest mark in an “El Caliente” high school race before Saturday with her 2008 victory in 17:10.7.

Loewe became the first repeat girls winner since Victoria Findley of Blue Springs South in Missouri won back-to-back “El Caliente” titles in 2016-17.

Isaac Rivera of Lincoln College Prep produced another champion Saturday for Missouri by winning the “El Caliente” boys individual title in 15:08.9.

Lucas Lovejoy had five athletes in the top 60 in the first section, all of whom finished in the top 70 in the overall combined results, to secure a 124-209 victory against Olathe West from Kansas.

Sara Morefield took third in her section and fourth overall in 17:46.4 for the Leopards, who became the first girls program to secure consecutive victories at Chile Pepper since Keller High of Texas won three in a row from 2016-18.

Lucas Lovejoy and fellow Texas programs Southlake Carroll and Keller have combined to win eight of the past nine Chile Pepper girls team titles, with Bentonville’s victory in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when only Arkansas schools were allowed to compete, interrupting the run of dominance by the Lone Star State.

Peyton Benson (18:01.3) and Camryn Benson (18:07.6) were 13th and 14th overall, Bridget Bernal finished 34th in 18:40.7 and Kailey Littlefield took 68th in 19:11.4 for Lucas Lovejoy, which has won in three different states this season, including Sept. 23 at the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree.

Northwest Nelson of Texas took third with 218 points, Bentonville finished fourth at 266 points and Aledo from Texas was fifth with 270 points.

Wingard was the only female competitor in the second section to place in the top 10 overall.

Natalie Duggan of Edmond Santa Fe in Oklahoma took third in 17:39.6, Elyse Wilmes from Father Tolton Regional Catholic in Missouri was fourth in 17:51.0, Niwot transfer Bella Nelson from Owasso in Oklahoma secured sixth in 17:51.2, Margaret Thompson of The Hockaday School in Texas grabbed seventh in 17:55.3, just ahead of Zoe Harding from Harding Academy in Arkansas at 17:55.4, with Gentry Turner of Bartlesville earning ninth in 17:56.6 and fellow Oklahoma standout Morgan Kirkland from Edmond North running 17:57.0 to complete the top 10.

Rivera, who finished 10th last season in 15:16.9, prevailed in the first section, as all of the top 10 competitors came from his race.

Deer Creek became the first boys team from Oklahoma to triumph at the meet in more than 20 years, holding off Bentonville by a 105-131 margin.

Graham Mitchell (15:19.4) and Brody Woodcock (15:21.6) were fourth and fifth for Deer Creek, with Tyler Schwarz finishing 28th overall in 15:56.2, Daniel Collins taking 33rd in 15:59.7 and Spencer Carlson placing 43rd in 16:10.0 for the Antlers.

Lucas Lovejoy took third with 164 points, with Mustang from Oklahoma finishing fourth at 242 points and Rockhurst of Missouri placing fifth with 284 points.

Angel Sanchez, competing unattached, was second in 15:12.7, with Joseph Bariola from Lakeside-Hot Springs in Arkansas taking third in 15:14.3.

Rockhurt’s Henry Acorn secured sixth in 15:23.1, James American Horse from Bentonville placed seventh in 15:27.3, Andrew Johnson of Platte County earned eighth in 15:31.0, with fellow Missouri standouts Peyton Willbanks from Liberty grabbing ninth in 15:32.1 and Carson Driemeier of Festus capturing 10th in 15:34.2.

Sophie Brooks of Lucas Lovejoy was victorious in the girls open 2-mile race in 12:16.6, leading the Leopards to victory with 38 points.

Tian Grant from Pea Ridge in Arkansas prevailed in the boys open 2-mile competition in 10:15.1, with Bentonville securing the team title by a 79-97 margin against Grapevine from Texas.