HOT SPRINGS — Jack Landrum and Angel Vargos finished in the top five leading the Bryant Hornets Junior High team to the championship of the junior boys’ division of the Lake Hamilton Invitational at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.
Bryant finished with 60 points to edge Lake Hamilton (61). Hot Springs Lakeside was third (80 points) followed by Conway Junior High (89), and Benton (122).
Seventeen teams and representatives from three other schools competed in the event.
Landrum ran a 12:20.22 time to take second place among those competing with a team. Vargas’ 12:27.64 was good for third behind only Little Rock Christian’s Owen Sanders, who won in 11:58.84. (Randy Rodruguez of DeQueen, which was not competing for the team title, ran a 12:15.84.)
Both Landrum and Vargas are eighth graders, as is Bryant’s third runner, Dylan Middleton, who turned in a 13:05.35 to finish 15th.
Freshman Daniel Barrientos also placed in the top 20, taking 17th in 13:08.11. Daven Parker, another eighth grader, was Bryant fifth scoring competitor. He finished in 13:23.31 to place 23rd.
Seventh graders Spencer Ruff (26th, 13:46.53) and Grayson King (31st, 13:52.91) rounded out Bryant’s top seven.
“The junior boys’ race was extremely close and we managed to take the win by just one point,” noted BJHS coach Nicole Bradbury. “Jack Landrum took the lead for the Bryant boys today snagging a third place overall and Angel Vargas was not far behind with fourth place. Dylan Middleton, Daniel Barrientos, and Daven Parker also performed very well, all medaling in the top 30.”
“BJHS overall had a very successful day,” Bradbury concluded.
The junior high teams will conclude the 2020 season next Saturday, Oct. 24, at the annual WalMart Junior High championships in Cabot.
