Jennings County High School

The Jennings County Panthers cross country teams turned in an impressive performance on Saturday at the annual Ray Gerking Invitational, with both the boys’ and girls’ squads finishing as team runners-up in a highly competitive field. Girls Race Recap The Lady Panthers finished 2nd overall with a team score of 59, just two points behind champion Seymour (57). Jennings County’s team average of 21:13 showed their depth and consistency throughout the lineup. Adistyn Long led the way with a 4th-place finish in 19:51, continuing her strong freshman season. Alana Watts placed 8th in 20:57, giving the Panthers two runners inside the top ten. Shelby Allen (14th – 21:31), Brianna Phillips (15th – 21:42), and Addison Otte (18th – 22:04) rounded out the scoring five to secure the runner-up team finish. Macey Willhite (22:56) and Izabella Miller (23:10) provided strong support as displacers. The team’s second-place finish highlighted their pack running and ability to compete with some of the top programs in southern Indiana. Boys Race Recap On the boys’ side, Jennings County also claimed 2nd place with a score of 65, finishing behind Seymour (47) but ahead of Columbus East (75) and Hauser (77). The Panthers were led by a dominant front trio: Maxwell Rodriguez placed 3rd overall in 16:44. Cash Summers followed in 5th (16:48). Zachary Wahlman was right behind in 6th (16:51). That three-runner punch gave Jennings County one of the strongest top packs in the meet. Dawson Leak (24th – 18:15) and Elijah Lucas (35th – 18:56) closed out the scoring to secure second place. Looking Ahead With both teams showing strength against conference and sectional rivals, the Panthers continue to build momentum as the postseason approaches. Jennings County will look to carry this energy into their upcoming meet at the Duke Meyer Classic in Hanover this Saturday.