The Russellville High School girls and boys cross country teams showed off the results of their hard work at the 13th annual Pepsi Classic Cross Country Invitational Sept. 2 at H.A. Alexander Mini Park in Moulton.

Twelve 5A-7A boys teams competed, with a total of 155 runners, and eight 5A-7A teams competed, with a total of 94 runners. The RHS boys team placed second, and the RHS girls team placed fifth, receiving an honorable mention. Three runners from the boys team – Connor Evans, Hailezgy Solomon and Connor McFall — finished in the top 15.

“I believe our boys team was four points from winning,” said RHS cross country interim head coach, Shawn Greenhill. “I’m proud of all of our runners for competing. They worked really hard over the summer, and now in the fall, that’s starting to pay dividends. We’re not where we’re going to be, but we’re on track, and so we’ve got a really bright future. It was exciting to see their hard work pay off and for them to start being in contention to win some championships.”

Greenhill said the teams have been dedicating a lot of their hard work in honor of Coach Larsen Plyler, who has been out this season because of a brain tumor.

“We’re wanting to do well and make him proud,” Greenhill continued. “A lot of people are involved. We’ve got a lot of good parents and other people following us to these races and helping. There’s a lot that goes into it. It ain’t just about us and our teams. It’s about the community stepping in, getting behind us and helping out.”

This week, the team travels back to Lawrence County for the Chickasaw Trails meet at Oakville Indian Mounds.