Gibson, 11, wins high school race
Published 4:48 pm Saturday, September 16, 2017
DAYTON — An 11-year-old girl beat a field full of high school competitiors.
Sixth-grade Nederland homeschool student Mary Kathryn Gibson came close to beating the 20-minute mark Saturday in the Dayton Bronco Invitational, winning the event in 20 minutes, 8.5 seconds. She was 14.7 seconds faster than the runner-up, Amelia Ward of Awty International.
Mary Kathryn broke the 2-mile world record for 10-year-olds on Jan. 5, two days before turning 11, by running 11:49.11 in the 17-under division in the Mile Mania Grand Prix on Staten Island, New York. Just more than a month later in Frisco, she finished third in a field of college women in a 3,000-meter indoor race at The Star.
In Dayton, Rachel Morrison of Nederland was the highest-scoring athlete and third overall at 21:30. She helped the Bulldogs finish fifth as a team, just one point behind Port Neches-Groves.
Anna Licatino led PNG at 23:11.5 to score 11th. She was followed by Carli Salinas (18th, 24:05); Jaysa Miller (20th, 24:14), Grace Richard (22nd, 24:41.3) and Kaylee Landry (29th, 25:54.8).
For Nederland, Macie Saleme scored 17th at 23:47.2; Savannah Maxwell 24th at 24:53.6; Giovanna Hernandez 32nd at 26:16.7; and Karissa Zavalla 34th at 26:32.
Pasadena Memorial won the Varsity Girls Purple Division with 28 points. Barbers Hill was second with 47, Houston Carnegie Vanguard third with 72, PNG fourth with 100 and Nederland fifth with 101.
The Nederland boys team came in third in the Varsity Boys Purple group with 77 points, behind Pasadena Memorial (52) and Barbers Hill (66). Eli Peveto of Little Cypress-Mauriceville won the race in 17:11.6, with Trent Stoute of Lumberton (17:23.2) second and Blake Mortera of Nederland (17:23.4) third.
Other Nederland scorers were Charles Potter (11th, 18:10.1); Carlos Barboza (15th, 18:34), Carlos Rodriguez (17th, 18:39.7) and Jake Moore (27th, 19:10.5).
Collin Dietrich of PNG was second in the Varsity Boys White division, running 18:20.6. He led the Indians to a fifth-place finish with 179 points, while Bridge City came in 12th at 299.
Also scoring for PNG: Caleb Dominguez was 32nd at 20:16.6; Sebastian Wagner 34th at 20:17; Kaden Flores 49th at 20:59.8; and Keaton Richard 62nd at 21:26.1.
— I.C. Murrell
About I.C. Murrell
I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
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