James Clemens claims runner-up finish

The James Clemens boys broke the school record at the Jesse Owens cross-country course at the Oakville Indian Mounds and finished second Saturday. (Contributed/Katy Soto)

OAKVILLE – With a little more than a month left until the state cross country championships, the James Clemens High School boys continued an impressive season with a runner-up finish in the Silver Division at the prestigious Jesse Owens Classic Invitational.

The Jets placed second to Pearl of Mississippi in the 17th annual event at the Indian Mounds on Saturday.

James Clemens is coming off two victories in both the boys and girls divisions at the Fairview Invitational, wins that gave the school Trophy No. 100 in its four-year history.

At the Indian Mounds course, site of the Nov. 14 state championships, the Jets finished behind Pearl and just ahead of Grissom in a strong 48-team field featuring teams from 10 states. Greeneville was fourth and Spain Park fifth. Bob Jones placed 20th.

The James Clemens girls didn’t fare as well with a sixth-place finish. Auburn won, followed by Pearl, McGill-Toolen, Bob Jones and Harpeth Hall of Tennessee.

Bob Jones’ Nate Santiago was the top local finisher in a time of 16:41.79, which was good for 10th place.

Aaron Beane led James Clemens with a 19th-place finish in a time of 16:53.25. Jets teammate Korey Shively was 22nd in 16:54.72.

Freshman Elizabeth Holcomb of James Clemens led local runners with a 10th-place finish in a time of 19:34.98. Jets teammate Elise Sheldrick was 17th in 19:50.50.

The Jets broke the school record on the Jesse Owens course behind Bean and Shively. Raleigh Schmidt clocked in at 17:02, Jase Bell at 17:02 and Andrew Patrick at 17:15.