WESTWOOD — Cross country runners much prefer cooler temperatures and even some rain and wind to hot, humid conditions.

Saturday’s Fairview Invitational suited them just fine, even when a morning shower picked up intensity during the girls’ high school race and pelted runners as they made their way around the course.

Mason County’s Rheagan Sizemore seemed unfazed. The eighth-grader trimmed seven seconds off the meet record with her winning time of 20 minutes, 31.62 seconds.

“I just feel really good,” Sizemore said as rain drops dripped off her smiling face. “I wanted a good finish today. It rained pretty hard the second part of the race, and the wind pushed down on the small hills. But that was OK. You fight through it and concentrate on what you need to do.”

Mason County swept the individual titles as junior Nick Robinson won the boys’ division in 17:26.02, just ahead of Russell’s Jacob Heyerly.

The meet included 14 schools and both team races were tight.

Fairview’s girls, preseason No. 1 in Class A, edged fast-climbing Boyd County by seven points as both teams placed five runners in the top 16.

On the boys’ side, Mason County won a three-way battle with Russell and Ashland. The same trio is expected to fight it out in their Class 2A region.

The Royals had five of the top 14 finishers and posted a team score of 42. Russell, led by Heyerly and third-place Josh Riley, was next with 48 and Ashland had 53.

“Russell is very good and the same with Ashland,” Mason County coach Mark Kachler said. “Any given day, one of the these three can come out on top. It’s whoever has the best day.”

This time, it was Mason County as Robinson received solid support from teammates Tanner Campbell (sixth), Alex Robinson (10th), Tanner Kirkland (11th) and Tyler Toombs (14th).

Heyerly, a junior, has closed the gap on Nick Robinson since earlier in their careers. On Saturday, the difference was less than seven seconds as Heyerly turned in a personal-best 17:32.54.

“I’m catching up,” he said. “I wanted to get a PR today. I’m very satisfied with second place. I haven’t run in that much rain in a while, and it was lot of fun.”

Riley crossed the finish line just four seconds behind Heyerly. Senior newcomer Ross Lane, who placed seventh, is providing a boost to the Red Devils’ lineup. He has a running background, including triathlons.

“Ross has been tremendous,” said Chuck Cantrell, the Red Devils’ new coach. “With him added, it gives us a really solid foundation. Any of our top three guys could win. It’s a great situation because they all push each other.”

The team’s overall progress has Cantrell enthused.

“I’m really happy,” he said. “We are seeing consistent improvement with them. Most, or all, of the kids ran personal bests today.”

Ashland put five runners in the top 15, led by sophomore Austin Craft with a fourth-place time of 17:39.64.

Earlier, senior Brooklyn Bowen of the meet’s host school made her last Fairview Invitational a special memory.

Bowen came in with a goal of improving on her 22:16 showing — good for fourth place — at Fairview’s Early Season Showcase Meet. She blew that time away with a 20:46.40 in leading the Lady Eagles to the team championship. Bowen was second to the finish line behind Mason County’s Sizemore.

“I’m thrilled,” Bowen said. “I’ve been having calf pain. I told myself not to let it bother me, but just to go out and run my best.”

Bowen is hoping to continue her running career at Pikeville University. Fairview coach Becca Chaney can see a difference in the senior.

“Brooklyn has been working a lot harder,” Chaney said. “She had some really good practices this week. I’m glad she got the playoff.”

Also for Fairview, Lyndsey Burke finished fifth, Maddy Rymer sixth, Haley Layne eighth and Morgan McIntyre 16th.

“We ran really well as a team today,” Chaney said. “We had four girls under 22 minutes. Our team gap (first to fifth runner) is usually four minutes. Today it was 2:10. I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

Boyd County, likely the area’s surprise team this season, gave Fairview plenty of competition for the championship trophy.

The Lady Lions have made huge strides over the summer, and it showed Saturday. Sophomore Darian Steele and junior Alliya Kautzman, both State Meet qualifiers last year, finished third and seventh in the Fairview Invitational. Teammates Courtney Gibson, Saralyn Miller and Hannah Cassady weren’t far behind.

“We were pumped,” said Dirk Hollar, who is in his first year as head coach. “Having five girls in the top 15. That’s awesome.”

Afterwards, Hollar was hoarse from hollering for his team.

“I can’t be any prouder than I am today,” he said. “Nobody really knew about our girls. Everybody knows who we are now.”

Steele surprised herself by running 21:02.18, her personal best by 43 seconds according to Hollar.

“I wanted to hit 21:30 today after running 21:44 last week,” Steele said. “When I started getting closer to the finish, I could hear coach yelling out that I had a chance to get under 21 minutes. I was thinking, did he mean to say 22?”

Last year, Boyd County often did not have five runners to compete as a team at meets.

Now the Lady Lions have a solid supporting cast for Steele and Kautzman. Gibson, a freshman, ran 22:00.87 in her first cross country race Saturday. Miller, who transferred from Alabama, is a junior while Cassady transferred from Elliott County.

 Hollar and assistant Shawn Thornbury, the team’s former head coach, ran with the team during the first month of practice. But both said they stopped because they couldn’t keep up.       

“These girls work so hard,” Hollar said. “They hate to lose to each other in practice, but when it’s over they are best friends.”

Chaney, a Boyd County graduate, can see a change with the program.

“Boyd County is doing a great job getting kids out,” she said. “I’m happy for them. I just don’t like to see them that close to us.”

Mason County, regional champion the past four years, finished 20 points behind Boyd County for third place. The Lady Royals, however, were missing both of their seniors. Julia Woods, normally the team’s No. 1 runner, was taking the ACT and Raylee Kirkland is nursing an ankle injury.

ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.