Mitchell literally paces Platte County to team title at home Stubbs Invitational

Sisely Mitchell broke from her pacing assignment as planned and started picking off runners in front of her one-by-one. How many exactly?

“I don’t even know. Probably eight? Ten?” Mitchell said.

Sure seemed like more.

“Probably more than that, yeah,” she added.

Mitchell didn’t come anywhere close to the top-tier times she regularly produces in a continuingly accomplished three years as Platte County’s No. 1 runner. However, she still recorded the third individual victory of her career and second straight on her home course at Platte Ridge Park on Thursday in the third annual Judge “Chris” Stubbs Invitational. The Pirates ended up placing six runners in the top 16 and ran away with the team title, as well.

Platte County posted a dominant team total of 24, and with only five teams having enough runners to qualify, the Pirates were nearly 40 points clear of runnerup North Platte.

Mitchell, fellow seniors Carmen Gentilia (third), Alex Beeman (12th) and Marissa Orellana (14th) and sophomores Nora McCoy (15th) and Joanna Reil (16th) all medaled as individuals even thought only the top five counted toward the team score. The Pirates only ran six on varsity despite having seven runners with prior Class 4 Missouri State Cross Country Championships experience.

Notably, the group includes four seniors after Platte County went the prior two seasons without a single senior running varsity at any point.

“Every runner really does matter,” said Mitchell, who fully dedicated her falls to distance running starting as a sophomore and quickly established herself as one of the best in program history. “Every single runner contributes points, and if we want to be up there as a team, definitely everyone matters.”

With many teams across the state resting last week, Platte County instead used the home invitational as an opportunity to grow the team’s depth. The Pirates were without standout junior Madison Palmer due to injury, while fellow junior Annabel Beeman ran junior varsity after the late scratch. Both were part of last year’s state qualifying team, while Palmer ran there as a freshman, as well.

Platte County continues to assess the options for the top seven, and Mitchell’s role on Thursday started with sticking to the No. 5 runner for the Pirates for the first two miles. After completing the task, she took off and easily picked off North Platte sophomore Chloe Heckman, who led much of the race but finished second in 21 minutes, 23.3 seconds.

Mitchell cruised to the lead by the four-kilometer mark and pulled away to finish in 20:59.8. She regularly competes with the lead pack in races and owns some of the only — and fastest — sub-20 minute times in Platte County history but fully embraces the team aspect of this year’s goals.

“I distinctly remember. We got to the mile-and-a-half mark, and that’s when my brain was like, ‘Alright. It’s time to go,” Mitchell said.

Gentilia became the seventh in program history to run under 20 minutes in this year’s season-opener and finished the home meet in 21:46.2 — 23 seconds back of Heckman. Gentilia continues to combine with Mitchell as Platte County’s clear 1-2 punch with state medal hopes. Alex Beeman (23:29.4) struggled with an ankle injury late last season but continues to close back in on her 2021 PR form, while Orellana just returned from injury and ran her second race of the season (23:43.1).

With Palmer out, McCoy took advantage of an opportunity and made her varsity debut, finishing in 23:52.60 and just edging out Reil (23:59.8), another piece of last year’s state team.

Platte County next races at the Gans Creek Classic this weekend with a first chance of the season to see the eventual state course. Mitchell will go back to chasing individual superlatives and moving back closer to her PR set last year in the same race at 18:51.40 — the third-fastest in program history.

“Just seeing if I have any unlocked talent that I can dive into,” Mitchell said.