Marlow teams qualify for state meets

The Marlow cross country teams overcame less than ideal conditions at the regional meet at Velma to qualify for this week’s state meet in Shawnee. The boys finished second and the girls finished fourth. Boys Noah Davis became the first regional champion from Marlow in five years, won the race with an eight-second lead with a time of 19:03.2. Marlow had all five placers finish in the top 18 but Marietta had five of the top seven overall winners to win the meet with 23 points. Marlow had 55. “The meet was a muddy mess but these guys didn’t even blink at the weather,” said Matt Ivory, Marlow assistant coach. “Our kids are ready to take on the challenge and are as mentally tough as any team we have had in recent years. We placed second to the overwhelming favorite to win the state championship.” Ivory estimates Marlow is one of four teams with the ability to bring home a trophy from the state tournament. “I would simply not change a thing about this team,” Ivory said. “Noah has been consistently our number one guy but the rest of our guys have been almost interchangeable after that.” It has done nothing but strengthen the team overall. “The cool thing is there are no egos or animosity among each other and they are each other’s biggest fan,” Ivory said. “That environment is fun to coach and allows each to reach their potential. Coach (Mikey) Eaves and I are excited to watch this weekend.” Ivory said Davis has a high confidence level right now and he is very fit. “His goals are realistic and I am excited to see how he performs this week at state,” Ivory said. Tyler Lawson and Case Rich finished back-to-back in 10th and 11th place, respectively. “Tyler returned to form today, but I think there is even more in his tank,” Ivory said. “He is a competitor and I expect that he will run very well this week as we peak for this race.” Rich, a freshman, continues to mature and get more confident with every race. “He fits well with our group and he is really tough as the race progresses,” Ivory said. In 15th place was Gavin Banks, followed by Jordon Taylor in 18th to round out scoring. “Gavin ran with a lot more confidence this week. His championship experience and leadership will be valuable as we prepare this week,” Ivory said. “Jordon was really close to running a complete race Saturday and in one more week, I think he will be ready to finish his cross-country career on a high note.” Not scoring, but still competing for Marlow were Lucas Martinez in 22nd place and Tyler McKinley in 26th. “Lucas has been battling some injury last week but will get well this week and be mentally ready as well, He is smart and tough, which is a great combination,” Ivory said. “Tyler has been a very pleasant surprise and filled in very well for Andrew Brown this week. He got some valuable post-season experience that will pay off in the coming years. He will remain available this week if we have any further injury issues, which gives us a lot of confidence.” Girls The Lady Outlaws had one top-five finisher as Korie Kizarr led the way for Marlow’s fourth-place finish with 102 points. Marietta won the team title with 25 points. Lexington was second with 84 points and Holdenville was third with 94. “The meet was a muddy mess but the girls really took the weather and tried to block it out the best they could,” said Mikey Eaves, head coach. “The constant thought of slipping or falling you could see was in their minds but they really competed well considering the surroundings.” Eaves said the goal was to make it to state without any injuries and that goal was accomplished. “I look forward to nice weather this next week and to see what these girls can do as we wrap this great season up,” Eaves said. A total of 86 runners competed. Kizarr finished fifth for Marlow with a time of 14:12.6. Macey Bateman was second in 19th place (15:12.8) and Grace Banks was third in 23rd place (15.24.1). “Korie, Macey and Grace have all been my lead girls this year and all really battled through this race and competed at a high level,” Eaves said. “When we look at the race, the times weren’t where we wanted them, but at this point in the season, it’s about where you are with your competition and all three are exactly where we need them. Now we just got to go run over best and see where that takes us.” Cheyenne Davis was 29th (15:41.4), Alicia Moore was 38th (16:35.6), Abby Kelly was 45th (17:02.3 and Makenzie Terrell was 53rd (17:23.9). “Cheyenne, Alicia, Abby and Mackenzie all battled through well and are primed and ready to make a showing at state,” Eaves said. “I look forward to seeing which ones of these four are going to make the difference and prove some people wrong. Look for something special this weekend.” Overall, Eaves said the team is ready to go. “I can’t wait to see how we end up this year,” Eaves said. “It’s been a blast and a good showing at state will only make it better.