Although the Chile Pepper Festival is one week away, there was still plenty of action across the Natural State, including a few standout performances once again in Texas.
Milesplit Arkansas is here to catch you up on what you might have missed over the weekend
...
Alan Gallardo-Lopez Runs a New Arkansas #1
After three weeks of debate centered around who was the better runner; James American Horse and Joseph Bariola, Alan Gallardo-Lopez threw his hat into the ring after a spectacular run at the Southlake #2 XC Invite.
The Fayetteville sophomore rolled to a third-place finish at Bob Jones Park in Southlake, Texas, running a new Arkansas #1 time of 15:03.50. Fayetteville finished fourth, just 18 points out from second, competing with Wylie and Northwest Nelson, two of the Longhorn State's most consistent programs.
The Fayetteville girls team finished 7th in a field loaded with some of the best teams in Texas. The Bulldogs were led by Kayli Fitzhugh, who ran an 18:46.20 en route to a 17th-place finish while Emelia Hesselgren finished quickly behind in 28th.
Next week, Fayetteville will host the biggest meet in the state as the Chile Pepper Festival will feature the top athletes that the Natural State has to offer. Now with the fastest time in Arkansas, Gallardo-Lopez will be the next runner tasked with defending his crown at Arkansas' crown jewel meet.
Milesplit Arkansas Travels to Russellville
For their second trip of the season, the Milesplit Arkansas staff traveled to the Cyclone Invitational in Russellville.
Cabot stole the show on the boys side, picking up a win over Bentonville, while Brandon Waller won his second race of the season.
Isaac Pohlmeier was the only other boy able to sneak under 17 minutes on an incredibly challenging course, which all four athletes interviewed commented on. The Ozark Catholic junior currently sits comfortably in first in Arkansas' 1A division.
In the girls race, Russellville defended their home turf in more ways than one, winning the individual and team titles. Brooklyn Nicholson was dominant in victory for the Cyclones, knocking off Cady Masters by nearly a minute, while Russellville edged out Conway by 17 points.
The Milesplit Arkansas staff was on site for this showcase and will return next week for the Wampus Cat Invitational in Conway, Arkansas next week. All photos, videos, and interviews can be found here.
