Like most athletes, Ainsley Smith wasn’t happy when COVID-19 concerns canceled the spring track and field season. She has decided to take it out on the fall cross country competition. The Calloway County senior ran a school-record time in winning the Trigg County Fenton Dawson Invitational in Cadiz Saturday.
Smith covered the 3.1-mile course at West Cadiz Park in a time of 19:41, crushing the old school record of 19:59 set by Megan Summers in 2009. Smith has entered five races this fall and won all five as she sets her sights on winning the region title after a runner-up finish last year.
She won the Black Division of Saturday’s event, which was split into two races. Smith won her race by 1:14 over Crittenden County’s Kate Keller and ran the fastest time in both races.
Bella Swain was Calloway’s second runner across the line in sixth place in 22:05. Ainsley’s little sister Brooklyn, an 8th grader, was eighth in 22:32, and Emma Martin was 17th in 25:25.
Calloway didn’t field a fifth runner that would have been needed to post a team score.
