BlueJays, Ogan repeat in Cottonwood Flats

Both the Guthrie BlueJay boys Cross Country team and senior Jason Ogan had bulls eye's on them as returning champs of their own tournament, but neither seem to mine as both repeated as champions.

Guthrie held the 12th Annual Guthrie Cottonwood Flats Invitational Cross Country Meet, Saturday morning, on the bottom of the flats that an estimated 600 fans attended to watch. The race was the first of the year for Guthrie.

To view the photo page, including each of the team winners and runner-ups, of the 12th Annual Cottonwood Flats run please click here for page one and click here for page two.

Jason Ogan finishes across the line as he won his second Cottonwood Flats race to help his team to the overall team title for Class 5A and Below.

Ogan finished with a time of 15:50 to win his second Cottonwood Flats. Deer Creek's Taler Buck was second with a time of 15:52 in the 3-mile race.

"It's like home," Ogan said moments after winning the race still not having caught his breath. "The course is flat and has a lot tree coverage so it makes you feel like you have some wind and shade."

"It's just like any regular race to me and we are really running strong as a team," Ogan said.

The Jays in total had four runners land in the top 10. Brother and twin Jared Ogan had a time of 16:09 and was good enough for fourth place, sophomore Hunter Sallee was 9-seconds behind for sixth, and younger Ogan brother Jonathan came across the line in 16:29 to medal in 10th in his first varsity race after an injury kept him sidelined a year ago.

Junior Zach Cates finished with a time of 16:57 and was good for 18th overall. Senior Colin Betchan, a state medalist along with his teammates from a season ago, also ran strong for the Jays, who as a team finished third overall in the 2008 state meet.

Guthrie finished with a team low 39-points and Deer Creek fell behind in second place with a score of 57. Bishop McGuinness took third with 61-points.

"Its a good way to start the season off. They wanted that trophy and they went out and got one," head coach Clay Tarter said of his teams finish. "The kids ran really because they worked hard over the summer and that is the key to this sport. It was a good race for us."

"They are excited (about the season), but they believe they can do it and that state (track) title really helped because they worked hard over the summer,"

The Jays won the Flats race for the second year in a row and will take their shot at state later this year in Edmond.

 Tarter said about helping aid the win.

For the Lady Jays Rachel Roberts was the only Lady Jay to run and finished sixth overall with a time of 12:30 in the 2-mile competition.

"I thought she ran good and she felt pleased with it. We are right there in the hunt we, just need to get a little bit better, but its early in the season so she's got time to do it.

Running away with the girls title in the 5A and below category was Deer Creek's Hilary Kessler with a time of 12:12.

McGuinness, who are the defending state champions in 5A, took home the top team honor by beating out Deer Creek by a margin of 38-points.

Class 6A belongs to Edmond Schools

Edlam took over in Guthrie through the Cottonwood flats as Edmond Memorial edged out cross town rival Edmond North by a total of 8-points, 44-36, and seven out of the top 10 runners were from Edmond.

Memorial finished fourth overall in state last year while Edmond North finished sixth on their home course.

Ponca City runner Victor Others got in the middle of Edlam to come away as the top runner with a time of 15:07

In the girls competition there really was not any competition as the Lady Huskies from Edmond North won by a landslide of 52-points. North, who finished second in the state meet a season ago, landed six of the top seven spots highlighted by Anna Kimsey and her time of 12:14.

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