Wednesday Sports Briefs

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The Highlands Bluebirds boys and girls cross country teams have continued to do well in recent meets.

The girls are still the top-ranked team in Class AA followed by North Oldham, Louisville Christian Academy, Scott and Lexington Catholic. Molly Mearns is still the top-ranked runner in the class.

The boys dropped two second in Class AA following the recent Trinity Invitational. North Oldham is the top-ranked team with Covington Catholic, Wayne County and Russell following the Bluebirds. Ethan Shuley is the second-ranked runner in Kentucky.

Both teams recently partook in the Trinity/Valkyrie Invitational. The girls finished 15th out of 43 teams without Paige Dauer and Francis Tracy. They were taking the ACT exam.

A total of 347 girls ran in the race. Mearns led Highlands (57th in 19 minutes, 41 seconds). Teammates Chloe Gastright (67^th in 19:55), Sydney Ossege (85 in 20:17), Lauren Ossege (108 in 20:38) and Brianna Collins (234 in 22:37) followed Mearns.

The boys finished 19th out of 53 teams. Shuley led the way for Highlands finishing 47th in 16:05 out of 473 runners. John Michael Griffith followed at 92nd in 16:37. The other Highlands scorers were Geoff Mearns at 170th in 17:10, Matt Gray (182 in 17:23) and James Smith (220 in 17:42). Jackson Paul (221 in 17:43) and Will Backscheider (297 in 18:19) rounded out the Highlands runners.

The Bluebirds also won the Campbell County Championships beating Bishop Brossart. Mearns won the race on the girls side in 19:29 with Gastright taking second in 19:47, Sydney Ossege fourth in 20:27, Lauren Ossege fifth in 20:36, Dauger sixth in 20:48, Tracy eighth in 21:38 and Collins ninth in 21:49 out of 30 girls.

There were 43 boys in the race. Griffith finished second in 16:17 followed by Shuley (third in 16:30, Gray (sixth in 17:34), Smith (ninth in 17:47), Paul (12th in 18:01) and Backscheider (17th in 18:23).

Highlands faces more stiff competition in the Cincinnati St. Xavier Invitational on Saturday. The Bluebirds also participate in the Williamstown Invitational on Oct. 5 and the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Meet on Oct. 8.

Soccer, Girls:

Newport Central Catholic 1, Dixie Heights 1:

The Lady Breds (8-1-2) tied the Lady Colonels on Wednesday in Crestview Hills.

Both goals came on penalty kicks. Allie Otten scored the lone goal for NewCath.

Dixie Heights got off four shots. NewCath freshman goalkeeper Meg Martin made three saves.

The Lady Breds travel to the All “A” State Tournament on Saturday at the Elizabethtown Sports Park. They take on Pikeville at 9 a.m. on Field 11.