Brandon Mattsey is helping set the pace for a solid start to the season by the St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ cross-country team.
Carson Maroon, Elijah Mock, Luke Stegall and Charlie Mabry are doing their part, too.
SJO, which hosts the Spartan Classic at 9 a.m. this upcoming Saturday in St. Joseph, is fresh off a standout performance at the St. Teresa Invitational this past Saturday, held at Hickory Point Golf Course in Forsyth.
The Spartans won the 12-team meet, highlighted by Mattsey’s fifth-place finish of 16 minutes 10.8 seconds. Maroon wasn’t far behind with a time of 16:14.2, good enough for seventh place.
Stegall (12th, 16:52.8), Mabry (14th, 16:55.4), Mock (17th, 17:01.7) all turned in top-20 finishes, helping the Spartans secure the team title.
Prior to the St. Teresa Invitational, the Spartans competed against Monticello in a dual meet on Sept. 15 at the Lodge Park, with the host Sages winning with 22 points compared to 33 for SJO.
Spencer Wilson registered the Spartans’ top time with a fourth-place finish in 17:53, followed by Ethan Blackburn (fifth, 18:11), Lukas Hutcherson (seventh, 18:22), Isaiah Mock (eighth, 18:32) and Maroon (ninth, 18:33).
On Sept. 12, SJO took second in the 11-team Paxton-Buckley-Loda Invitational, compiling 61 points. Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond won the event with 57 points. Maroon took sixth in Paxton with a time of 16:46.3, while Mabry finished 10th in 17:06.22.
Elijah Mock (13th, 17:07.91), Stegall (16th, 17:25.31) and Mattsey (18th, 17.32.90) rounded out the top five runners for the Spartans.
The Spartans won a four-team quadrangular they hosted on Sept. 8 that lasted 1.5 miles around St. Joseph Community Park. SJO compiled 21 points to top Tuscola (40), Oakwood (85) and Armstrong-Potomac (110).
Mattsey led the way with a first-place finish of 8 minutes, 9 seconds. Maroon wasn’t far behind, placing second in 8:12, while Elijah Mock (fifth, 8:23), Stegall (sixth, 8:26) and Mabry (seventh, 8:28) gave the Spartans a stellar showing.
Prior to Sept. 8, the Spartans placed third out of 13 teams at the Charleston Invitational on Sept. 5.
SJO racked up 60 points, topped only by Mahomet-Seymour (50) and Richland County (57).
Mattsey had the best time for SJO, finishing in 16:45.94 to place fifth. Maroon was next up at 16:54.10, good enough for eighth place, while Elijah Mock added another Spartan runner in the top 10 with a ninth-place finish in 17:01.81. Stegall (16th, 17:20, 43) and Mabry (22nd, 17:30.90) rounded out the top five runners for SJO.
Photo by Carrie Mattsey Photography
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