Photos by Marcia Street
The Newton Lady Eagles opened their cross country season in impressive fashion Saturday at the Tom Wickham Invitational in Fairfield, putting together a strong pack performance to claim the team championship.
Newton finished first with 30 points, edging host Fairfield, which finished second with 39 points. McLeansboro-Hamilton County placed third with 55 points.
The Eagles placed five runners among the top 15 finishers, giving Newton the consistency needed to capture the team title.
Avery Geier led the Newton effort, finishing third overall in 19:27.20. She was followed closely by Heather Bergbower, who crossed the line fourth in 19:43.10.
Chloe Holsapple continued Newton’s strong start with a fifth-place finish in 20:10.90, giving the Eagles three runners inside the top five.
Kimberly Bierman finished 11th in 22:07.70, while Nora Street rounded out Newton’s scoring five with a 14th-place finish in 22:20.60.
Newton’s next runner was Josie Vogt, who finished 20th in 23:10.00, followed by Kate Bierman in 27th with a time of 24:42.00.
As a team, Newton’s five scoring runners combined for a total time of 1:43:49.50, an average of 20:45.90 per runner. The Eagles’ ability to put three runners among the first five finishers and all five scorers inside the top 15 proved decisive.
The season-opening victory gives the Newton girls an early boost as they begin their 2026 campaign.
Newton Girls Results
- 3. Avery Geier — 19:27.20
- 4. Heather Bergbower — 19:43.10
- 5. Chloe Holsapple — 20:10.90
- 11. Kimberly Bierman — 22:07.70
- 14. Nora Street — 22:20.60
- 20. Josie Vogt — 23:10.00
- 27. Kate Bierman — 24:42.00
Team Standings:
- Newton — 30
- Fairfield — 39
- McLeansboro-Hamilton County — 55
Newton Boys Open Season at Fairfield
The Newton Eagles boys cross country team also got its 2026 season underway Saturday at the Tom Wickham Invitational in Fairfield, with Levi Salyers leading the way for Newton.
Salyers finished 18th overall in 18:21.90 over the 2.75-mile course, placing himself among the top 20 runners in a competitive field. Kendall Probst was Newton’s second finisher, crossing the line 41st in 20:14.80.
Newton’s boys did not record a team score at the meet, as the Eagles did not have the five scoring runners required for a team total.
Salyers’ 18:21.90 was particularly noteworthy, putting him less than 10 seconds behind Clay City’s Corbin Dehart, who finished 17th, and just over 10 seconds behind Junction’s Rylan Smith.
Probst followed with a solid 20:14.80, finishing ahead of runners from Louisville, Junction, Cisne and several other schools.
The Eagles will look to build on Saturday’s season opener as the cross country season continues.
Newton Boys Results
- 18. Levi Salyers — 18:21.90
- 41. Kendall Probst — 20:14.80
The Fairfield Invitational was the opening meet of Newton’s 2026 cross country season.
