Platte County might have a pattern set for expectations this season.
For a second straight race, standout junior Tyler Stambersky earned a medal with an incredibly bunched finish from six teammates behind her in Saturday’s Raymore-Peculiar Invitational in Peculiar, Mo. The Pirates were sixth in the large school division standings out of 10 teams.
Stambersky rounded out the top 10, finishing in 21 minutes, 17.00 seconds after a delayed start to the races due to lightning.
Platte County sophomores Mary Dellinger (30th, 22:39.50) and Carlie Baker (33rd, 22:47.20) were next across the line with freshman Claire Babcock (44th, 23:32.60) and sophomore Brooklyn Niewald (51st, 24:24.20). The Pirates were still without junior Maddie Fuller due to a shin injury, but junior Kensington Sturdy (52nd, 24:24.50) and senior Alex Yurko (53rd, 24:30.50) filled out a balanced top seven in an other tough field.
Times were predictably slower on the course at Raymore-Peculiar High School as opposed to the season-opening Tim Nixon Invitational.
However, the scheduled continues to appropriately challenge Platte County ahead of a second straight season competing up in Class 5 District 4. A year ago, only Stambersky advanced to state from a youthful lineup, and none of the other runners on the roster were part of previous qualifying teams for the Class 4 MSHSAA Cross County Championships.
Platte County ended up with a team total of 148 at Ray-Pec, just 19 points out of fourth place.
Niewald has made an immediate impact for Platte County in the first two races of her high school career with Dellinger, Baker and Fuller all part of last season’s district lineup. The Pirates run at home for the first time this fall in Thursday’s Judge “Chris” Stubbs Invitational at Platte Ridge Park.
Platte County won last year’s team title on a sixth runner tiebreaker. The race again shifts to a weekday morning start in a unique setup for a high school race.
