BURTON CROSS COUNTRY TAKES PART IN MUD, SWEAT, AND CHEERS

Story by Coach Kurt Ramsey

The Burton Panthers kicked off their 2026 Cross Country season by traveling to Cooks Point, outside of Caldwell, this Saturday morning for the annual Mud, Sweat, and Cheers relay meet hosted by Top Tier Training. The Panthers fielded a large squad, having eleven boys and nine girls enter the contest. 

The meet uses a four person relay format, with each runner completing a 1.5 mile loop, for a relay total of six miles. Relays from schools across the region, 1A through 6A take the line and run the course at the same time. The Panthers entered two relays. The lead relay of Even Guerrero (So.), Klein Rhodes (So.), Rueben Rodriguez (Sr.), and Zach Purvis (Jr.) finished the six miles in 43 minutes and 35 seconds, finishing 26 out 56 relays. The second relay of Matthais Countouriotis (Fr.), James Jarvis (So.), Dylan Dallmeyer (Jr.), and Colton Vickers (So.) finished in 48 minutes and 34 seconds, finishing 49 out of 56 relays. The Panthers were one runner short for fielding a third relay so runners Andrew Gonzales (Jr.), Tyler Ramirez (So.), and Bowen Levlon (Fr.) ran individually. Top finishers for the Panthers were Guerrero with a 10:23, Purvis with a 10:40, and Rhodes with a 10:59.

The Lady Panthers also entered two relays. The lead relay of Sis Schulte (Fr.), Autumn Applewhite (Jr.), Kinley Frank (Jr.), and Paisley Goldberg (Fr.) finished in 49 minutes and 53 seconds, good for 20 out 59 relays representing 1A through 6A schools from across the region. They were followed by the relay of Dani York (Fr.), Isabella (Fr.), Jessica Strickland (Fr.), and Rose Nall (Fr.) in a time of 54 minutes and 14 seconds, good for 38 out of 59 relays. Top runners for the Lady Panthers were Goldberg with an 11:11, Applewhite with a 12:50, and Schulte with a 12:52.

Next week the Burton Panthers will travel to Cameron on Thursday, August 20 for a night run with the first team from Burton beginning competition at 7:30 pm.