Ventures Post Two Personal Bests at Flat Cross Country Course

Nora McGlinchey and Grace Sipp led Bishop Foley Catholic High School’s cross country finishers Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Columbus County Park, while two personal-best performances highlighted the Ventures’ meet. Grace Sipp finished 66th in the 121-runner field in 24:59.35, followed by Nora McGlinchey in 72nd at 25:32.03. The very flat course provided the setting for a closely grouped set of finishes. Nora McGlinchey averaged 8:14 per mile, and Grace Sipp averaged 8:04. Their finishing times were separated by 32.68 seconds, giving the Ventures their leading pair of performances in a race held under clear skies with a temperature of 64 degrees. Zoey Sullivan followed in 25:54.41, setting a personal best with an average mile pace of 8:21. That finish came 22.38 seconds after Nora McGlinchey. Claire Jeakle also recorded a personal best, completing the course in 26:25.02 at an average pace of 8:31 per mile. The two improved marks added individual milestones behind the Ventures’ top finishers.

Those three finishes were great. The compact finish-time spread was a notable part of the Ventures’ performance, alongside the personal bests. Nora McGlinchey and Claire Jeakle are both in their first season running cross country with the program. The lineup also included experienced runners alongside those newcomers. Lorelai Montano is in a fourth season with the Ventures and finished with a time of 34:55.86. Her average mile time was 11:16.