Battling Bishops, Iron Horses race at Lowcountry Invite

Saturday’s Lowcountry Invite featured some of the top cross country teams in the area as 26 boys’ teams and 23 girls’ teams competed in the 5,000-meter run, which was hosted by James Island Charter.
 
It also featured Noah Ward, a senior for Philip Simmons High School, who is wrapping up a fantastic career as one of the Palmetto State’s all-time distance runners.
 
Ward won the Lowcountry Invite championship in a time of 15 minutes, 47.94 seconds to easily capture first place. His time was more than a minute faster than the rest of the field and even more impressive because the course, Mullett Hall on Johns Island, had standing water on it due to heavy rains the day before.
 
Ward, who began his career at Hanahan, has one more go round this fall as a member of the Iron Horses’ cross country team and will conclude his track and field career in May.
 
It only seems like he has more gold than Fort Knox. He was on a Hanahan team that won a state championship, and he has seven individual goal medals. That total would have been higher if the track and field season last spring had not fallen victim to the coronavirus pandemic.
 
Last fall, Ward captured first in the 5K run at the state cross country with a personal best time of 15:36.84. He is one of the best distance runners in the state regardless of classification or season. He also is one of the top 1,600- and 3,200-meter runners in track and field.
 
Ward, who was named to the Palmetto State’s all-decade track and field team, is still deciding on his matriculation process.
 
He’s getting interest from a lot of Division I schools, but would like to stay in the South. Clemson, the University of Virginia and Georgetown University all fit that geographical location. He could make a decision in the next few weeks.
 
Class AAAAA entry Wando won the boys event with 59 points while May River (Class AAAA) held down second place with 86. Bishop England (Class AAA) was right behind in third place with 87 points and Philip Simmons (Class AA) was fourth with 95.
 
Senior Mark Richter led the Bishops to third place with a time of 17:10.28, which was good for sixth place, individually. Freshman Justin Hafner was ninth in 17:15.22.
 
The Iron Horses’ Henry Wood finished in 11th place. Other top 20 individual finishers included BE’s Matthew Sawyer and Dominic Coffman, and Philip Simmons’ Thomas Schmenk.
 
In the girls’ race, James Island claimed the top trophy with 58 points. Bishop England placed second with 87 points. Philip Simmons was sixth with 196 points.
 
Bishop England’s Norah Brahim and Kimber Keene finished sixth and seventh, respectively with times of 20:38.50 and 20:48.54.
 
Haley Meyers and Josie May led Philip Simmons. Meyers finished eight with a time of 20:51.74 and May claimed ninth in 20:58.79.
 
The state championships will be held the weekend of Nov. 6-7 at a site to be determined.
 

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
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