Reeths-Puffer cross country standout Jersi Bilek kicked off her senior season in a big way on Tuesday, taking first place individually in the girls race at the Eagle Invitational at Fruitport Calvary Christian.
Bilek won the race with a time of 20.09, outdistancing Fruitport’s Peyhton Beardsley, who finished second with a time of 20:34.
Jersi Bilek
“Jersi stuck her first split and said she felt good and everything felt right, so she pressed on to finish faster than her prediction,” said R-P Coach Lindsay Keefe. “I am excited to watch this young lady this season!”
Also winning a medal for a top 10 finish was R-P’s Darcy Keefe, who took sixth place with a time of 23:48. She was more than a minute faster than her time at the same event last year.
Just missing out on a medal was R-P’s Kaitlyn Durow, who finished 11th with a time of 24:26.
Darcy Keefe
The Rockets did not have a great day as a team, finishing third out of four teams with 59 points. Mona Shores won the event with 32 points, folowed by Fruitport with 43.
Rounding out the top five for the Rockets were Olivia Yonkman, who finished 33rd with a time of 30:06, and Maddie Horenziak, who took 34th with a time of 32:12.
“The lady Rockets had a fantastic first race, with most of the team beating their time from last year at this race!” Coach Keefe said. “This is a very exciting place to start the season, even if we didn't score well as a team, placing fourth overall.”