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The 38th Annual Chile Pepper did not disappoint. More than 1,000 boys crossed the finish line in the Caliente 5K, including 133 freshmen. On the girls’ side, 869 runners completed the race, with 179 freshmen among them.
- Leading the freshman boys was Bentonville’s Ethan Lechuga, who finished 39th overall with a time of 15:30.8. Lechuga knocked 11 seconds off his previous personal best while maintaining a 4:59-per-mile pace. Bentonville’s next scheduled race is the Lake Hamilton Cross Country Invitational.
- Blue Valley’s Alexander Moenster also turned in a strong performance, finishing 84th overall in 15:51.5. Moenster improved his PR by 26 seconds and averaged 5:06 pace. The Tigers are next scheduled to compete next at the Heartland Relay Carnival.
- Deer Creek’s Lucas Buxton continued the PR trend, dropping 26 seconds from his previous best. Buxton finished 132nd overall in 16:07.7.
- Fort Worth Christian’s Cade Lewis also made a significant jump. Finishing 32nd in Heat 2, Lewis placed 166th overall in 16:18.7. His time represents a 30-second improvement over his previous PR. Fort Worth Christian is scheduled to race next at the TAPPS 5A District 1 Championship Meet.
- Rounding out the top five freshman boys was Liberty’s Max McKnight, who placed 174th overall in 16:20.8. McKnight averaged a 5:15-per-mile pace, giving the freshman a strong showing in a field packed with experienced runners.
The top five freshman girls all finished in the top 6.5% of the 869 finishers, with three of these incredible athletes placing in the top 15.
- Haley Fernandez of Nolan Catholic led the freshman girls with an incredible 17:14.2, placing sixth overall in El Caliente. Fernandez maintained a 5:32 pace and dropped 18 seconds from her previous PR.
- Edmond North’s Ainsley Dollar placed 10th overall with a 17:34.6, dropping nearly a minute from her previous PR. The Huskies plan to race next at the Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference meet.
- Jane Eller of Broken Arrow ran a 17:42.5, giving her a 30-second PR and a 14th-place finish. Eller maintained a 5:32 pace throughout the race. Broken Arrow plans to race next at the Tiger XC Classic on October 6.
- Shiloh Christian’s Kaelyn Allen placed 29th overall with a 17:58.8. Allen was the first Arkansas freshman to cross the finish line. The Saints plan to race next at the Springdale Schools Invitational on October 10.
5. Eliana Williams of Wylie Prep placed third in Heat 2 and finished 53rd overall with an 18:32.5. Williams’ performance means all five of the top freshman girls finished at a pace under six minutes per mile. Wylie Prep plans to race next at the NTX Small School Meet, hosted by TCS, in 2026.
Don't see your stats or think something's missing? Claim your MileSplit athlete profile now to take control of your results, PRs, and recruiting profile.
The 38th Annual Chile Pepper did not disappoint. More than 1,000 boys crossed the finish line in the Caliente 5K, including 133 freshmen. On the girls’ side, 869 runners completed the race, with 179 freshmen among them.
- Leading the freshman boys was Bentonville’s Ethan Lechuga, who finished 39th overall with a time of 15:30.8. Lechuga knocked 11 seconds off his previous personal best while maintaining a 4:59-per-mile pace. Bentonville’s next scheduled race is the Lake Hamilton Cross Country Invitational.
- Blue Valley’s Alexander Moenster also turned in a strong performance, finishing 84th overall in 15:51.5. Moenster improved his PR by 26 seconds and averaged 5:06 pace. The Tigers are next scheduled to compete next at the Heartland Relay Carnival.
- Deer Creek’s Lucas Buxton continued the PR trend, dropping 26 seconds from his previous best. Buxton finished 132nd overall in 16:07.7.
- Fort Worth Christian’s Cade Lewis also made a significant jump. Finishing 32nd in Heat 2, Lewis placed 166th overall in 16:18.7. His time represents a 30-second improvement over his previous PR. Fort Worth Christian is scheduled to race next at the TAPPS 5A District 1 Championship Meet.
- Rounding out the top five freshman boys was Liberty’s Max McKnight, who placed 174th overall in 16:20.8. McKnight averaged a 5:15-per-mile pace, giving the freshman a strong showing in a field packed with experienced runners.
