Loewe tries to improve on fastest 5-kilometer cross country effort in Arkansas prep history, with Wingard also capable of challenging Culbreath’s 2018 meet record; Lucas Lovejoy trying to extend Texas run with back-to-back girls titles, as Southlake Carroll’s absence will result in new boys champion

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Haley Loewe ran the fastest 5-kilometer cross country race by a female athlete in Arkansas prep history last year with her victory at the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival.

The Bentonville High senior and Tennessee commit has the potential to improve on that 17:20.50 performance from last year at the 35th edition of the event Saturday at Agri Park in Fayetteville, and possibly even challenge the prep meet record of 17:06.80 achieved in 2018 by London Culbreath of McKinney North High in Texas, when she competed in a collegiate race.

Chelsey Sveinsson of Greenhill High in Texas ran 17:10.7 in 2008, the top female effort in a high school race at Chile Pepper, with Loewe right behind her on the all-time meet performers.

But Loewe isn’t assured of producing the fastest time in the “El Caliente” girls competition, especially with sophomore Macy Wingard of Denton Braswell High in Texas also scheduled to compete.

WATCH LIVE WEBCAST SEPT. 29-30 OF CHILE PEPPER CROSS COUNTRY FESTIVAL ON RUNNERSPACE

Loewe and Wingard are entered in different sections of the two-race “El Caliente” girls schedule, which begins at 9 a.m. CDT Saturday. In their only meeting this season Sept. 16 at the Lucas Lovejoy Cross Country Festival, Wingard prevailed against Loewe by a 17:02.1 to 17:23.7 margin.

Wingard is scheduled to be in the same section as sophomore Madison Larsen from Aledo High in Texas, a transfer from Fort Worth Southwest Christian.

Loewe is attempting to become the first female athlete to secure back-to-back Chile Pepper individual titles since Victoria Findley of Blue Springs South in Missouri triumphed in 2016-17.

Another pursuit of consecutive Chile Pepper championships involves the Lucas Lovejoy girls team, which prevailed by a 67-75 margin last year against Southlake Carroll in a showdown of top Texas programs.

With Southlake Carroll not returning to race Saturday at Chile Pepper, Lucas Lovejoy has strong potential to become the first back-to-back girls winner since Keller of Texas secured three straight titles from 2016-18.

The Leopards are also looking to extend Texas’ dominance at the event. Not including a victory by Bentonville High in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when only Arkansas programs were allowed to compete at the meet, Texas has secured every girls championship at Chile Pepper since 2015, with Southlake Carroll and Keller each winning three titles, before Lucas Lovejoy’s victory win last season.

Lucas Lovejoy is expected to be challenged by Olathe West of Kansas, third place last year, as well as fourth-place Bentonville and fifth-place Colleyville Heritage from Texas.

Loewe is among 13 athletes who placed in last year’s “El Caliente” top 25 expected to compete Saturday.

Morgan Kirkland of Edmond North High in Oklahoma, fourth last season, is scheduled to participate, in addition to sixth-place Maddie Cabana from Clinton High in Arkansas, seventh-place Alex Volkart of Southern Boone High in Missouri and eighth-place Gabbie Bishop of Providence Classical Christian Academy in Arkansas.

Sara Morefield, a Tulsa commit who was 10th last season, is one of four returning athletes from Lucas Lovejoy that placed in the top 25, along with 16th-place Camryn Benson, 18th-place Peyton Benson and 24th-place Kailey Littlefield.

Lida Padgett from Shawnee Mission East High in Kansas finished 14th last year, Natalie Duggan of Edmond Santa Fe in Oklahoma was 17th, Josie Baker from Kirkwood in Missouri grabbed 20th and Kate Miller of Olathe West achieved 23rd.

With Southlake Carroll’s decision not to return to defend its “El Caliente” boys title at this year’s event, there has not been a repeat champion since the Dragons captured three in a row from 2010-12.

Bentonville was runner-up last season behind Southlake Carroll and seeks its first boys title since 2020.

Lucas Lovejoy finished fourth, Fayetteville was fifth and Shawnee Mission East secured sixth.

Caden Thurman, a senior at Wolfe City in Texas, is the top returning male athlete from last year’s “El Caliente” competition, placing fifth in 14:57.2.

Isaac Rivera of Lincoln College Prep in Missouri took 10th, James American Horse from Bentonville placed 12th, Aleksandr Acuna of Denton Braswell achieved 15th, Joseph Bariola from Lakeside-Hot Springs in Arkansas secured 17th and Will Carlson from Lucas Lovejoy grabbed 20th last season.

Alan Gallardo-Lopez of Fayetteville, 84th as a freshman last year at Chile Pepper, is seeking significant improvement Saturday.

Graham Mitchell and Brody Woodcock, senior teammates at Edmond Deer Creek, are also seeking impactful performances as well, along with fellow Oklahoma standout Trae Baker of Tahlequah.