Messenger photos by Dedra Cordle Claudio Martinez, a junior at Franklin Heights High School, competes in the Best of the Southwest cross-country meet at Westland High School on Aug. 31. Behind Martinez as he rounds the corner of the track is Westland High School junior Christan Placencia.Grove City High School junior Laney Hoyt is ready to collapse in exhaustion as the cross-country athlete finishes two-miles in 13 minutes and 38 seconds. Hoyt and her team were participating in the Best of the Southwest cross-country meet.On Aug. 31, more than 80 cross-country athletes across the district descended upon Westland High School to participate in the fifth annual Best of the Southwest Postal Nationals meet. Throughout the morning, members of each of the district high school’s junior varsity and varsity teams ran two miles around the track to have their times compared to cross-country teams across the United States.Joey Taylor, a sophomore at Central Crossing, tries to fend off the advancement of Zach Elliott and Brayden Smith of Grove City during the cross-country meet. Ultimately, Elliott and Smith placed first and second, while Taylor took third.
