Competing with picture parties, homecoming festivities, ACT's, and injuries, the Holy Innocents' Running Bears still had enough legs to be more than competitive at the Asics Invitational in Fairburn Saturday.
 
The boys finished 8^th among 29 teams while the girls took 10^th out of 19 on a day that saw cooler temperatures and a more runner-friendly 5K course on the grass. HI had entrants in three races – boys' varsity, girls' varsity, and boys' JV. All total, 27 competed at the event that saw teams from all across the state on hand.
 
Starting with the opening boys' varsity race, Harris Bradford finished 8^th overall and first for the Bears with a time of 17:08. He had depth behind him in Ethan Ganucheau (17:35), and Gavin Miles (17:57). Cooper Knowles and Harrison Evans were our #4 and #5 scoring runners, while Liam Silhan, Jackson Mullins, Matthew George, Thomas Stotts, and Brent Warbington rounded out our Running Bear red.
 
Our girls' varsity had many absentees but still had two place in Ellison Losin (7^th overall in 21:54), and Beatrice Jones (12^th in 22:24). Brooke Benedict, Blair Huber, and Olivia Sharper rounded out the scoring; Kate Frank, Eliana Gerbi, Joselyn Garcia, and Alice Poe also finished mostly in season best times.
 
Seven closed out the day in the JV boys' race – their order of finish were Jose Martin, Chase Warbington, Nicholas Busch, Beckett Culbertson, Finn Bergmann, Connor Mutz, and Truman Reed.
 
Looking ahead, the runners will get a much needed break after racing the past three weekends – next up will be Senior Night on Oct. 22^nd at the track before finishing regular season Oct. 25^th – again in Fairburn but this time at a different course.