Shawnee sophomore Kate Ruona opened her season with a fast 5,000 in an Olympic Conference batch meet Saturday at DREAM Park in Logan Township.
Ruona, 8th in the state Group 4 meet last year, ran 19:23 and won by about 550 meters over the field.
No team scoring was kept five-team meet, but Shawnee went 1-8-9-11-12 and also 15-16 for seven of the top 15 finishers.
Seneca’s Emma Klouchek ran 20:58 for second, Eustace Arianna Cane 3rd in 21:25, Washington Township Maura Kane 4th and Eustace Carly Troy 5th in 21:53.
The rest of Shawnee’s scoring pack included freshman Nicole Tellechea [8th in 22:04], junior Madelyn Valasek [9th in 22:14], sophomore Sydney Kiernan [11th in 22:23] and senior Ashley Olson [12th in 22:49].
Also in the top 10 were Washington Township sophomore Allyson Wernik [6th in 21:58] and junior Amariah Beasley [7th in 22:03] and Lenape junior Grace Boltz [10th in 22:21].
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 