Sophomores Samantha Linn and Alec Hayward led Greenwood’s high school cross-country teams through the 2026 postseason, closing their seasons with strong individual performances at the Class 5A state championships and giving both programs experienced runners to build around next fall. Greenwood’s cross-country program is led by Head Coach Jim Andrews.

Linn finished seventh in the girls’ state race, while Hayward placed 15th among the boys on Friday, November 6, at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. Their performances followed the October 27th conference championships at Greenwood’s Bell Park, where all four Bulldog and Lady Bulldog teams competed against their 5A West rivals.

The strength of that conference carried into the state meet. Shiloh Christian, Mountain Home and Russellville finished first, second and third, respectively, in the girls’ standings. Russellville won the boys’ championship, followed by Shiloh Christian.

For Greenwood’s girls, a program whose history includes state championships and runner-up finishes, the task ahead is to work back toward that level of team success. This postseason offered reasons for encouragement. The Lady Bulldogs’ first seven finishers at state were all underclassmen, including three sophomores at the front of the lineup.

Linn set the pace with a time of 20:03.55, following her fourth-place conference finish of 20:55.42. Her seventh-place showing at Oaklawn gave Greenwood a runner near the front of the state field and a proven leader with two high school seasons remaining. Fellow sophomore Blair Thompson was Greenwood’s second finisher at state, placing 32nd in 21:49.85. Mabrie Cash, also a sophomore, finished 57th in 22:54.64.

Eighth-grader Madelynn Erickson followed closely in 59th place at 23:00.09, while freshman Emery Ciesla placed 66th in 23:16.05. Juniors Sophie Zacho and Claire Rozell completed Greenwood’s first seven, finishing 67th in 23:18.02 and 73rd in 23:33.48, respectively. Seniors Kiera Johnson and Meredith Finley rounded out the Lady Bulldogs’ nine-runner state contingent. Johnson placed 101st in 24:19.35, and Finley finished 124th in 25:03.61.

The results leave Greenwood with a substantial returning group. Linn, Thompson and Cash have already taken on leading roles, while Erickson and Ciesla gained state experience early in their careers. Zacho and Rozell provide additional experience as they approach their senior seasons.

That group gives the Lady Bulldogs a foundation for pursuing the program’s familiar place among the state’s stronger teams. Turning that potential into a higher team finish will require continued development throughout the lineup, but Greenwood will not have to start over.

At the conference meet, Cash joined Linn near the front, placing 12th in 22:11.71. Thompson finished 16th in 22:30.71, followed by Erickson in 30th place at 23:55.28 and Rozell in 31st at 23:57.31. Ciesla placed 35th in 24:18.97, with Zacho immediately behind her in 36th at 24:20.63.

Greenwood’s remaining conference finishers were Johnson, 46th in 25:18.60; senior Myah Lawrason, 49th in 25:38.91; Finley, 61st in 26:16.09; junior Presley Zimmerman, 63rd in 26:29.93; junior Lyla Lorea, 75th in 29:25.49; senior Afton Bridges, 86th in 32:55.50; and sophomore Chelsea Wells, 87th in 32:55.67.

The Bulldog boys also ended the season with a young group leading the way. Alec Hayward covered the state course in 17:14.32 to finish 15th, improving on his conference time of 18:06.92, which earned him eighth place at Bell Park. Fellow sophomore Mark Archdeacon finished second for Greenwood at both postseason meets, placing 14th at conference in 18:29.36 and 45th at state in 18:17.33.

Junior Miles Wead followed at Oaklawn, finishing 69th in 18:46.63. Junior Dexter Coston placed 106th in 19:41.76, and sophomore Skye Johnson was 116th in 19:51.42. Sophomores Landon McCorkle and Zert Bridges completed Greenwood’s first seven state finishers. McCorkle placed 122nd in 20:06.90, while Bridges finished 134th in 20:34.32. Senior Mickey Joe Thurman followed just behind Bridges, placing 136th in 20:35.47. Fellow senior Ridik Lawless finished 190th in 22:10.14.

As with the girls, the Bulldogs’ first seven finishers at state were all underclassmen. Hayward and Archdeacon give Greenwood an established sophomore tandem, supported by Wead and Coston and a sizable group of younger teammates. At conference, Wead placed 36th in 19:52.97, followed by Coston in 40th at 20:09.03 and Johnson in 42nd at 20:24.26. McCorkle finished 43rd in 20:31.40, and Thurman placed 51st in 21:12.04.

Also competing at the conference meet for Greenwood were Bridges, 53rd in 21:15.60; Lawless, 59th in 22:15.08; freshman Gage Steinkamp, 60th in 22:31.48; freshman Connor Chambers, 66th in 23:53.42; freshman Canon Borum, 67th in 23:54.89; senior Jaden Tafoya, 70th in 25:32.67; sophomore Logan Wead, 76th in 28:22.03; and junior Tegan Owens, 77th in 29:30.66. Sophomore Trenton Horath completed the course in 29:32.82.

Greenwood’s junior high teams supplied another encouraging postseason story at Bell Park, highlighted by seventh-grader Mya Morris’ conference championship. Morris won the junior girls’ race in 13:35.16, leading a 20-runner Greenwood contingent. Eighth-grader Kynzie Maness also earned a top-five finish, placing fifth in 14:37.68.

Eighth-graders Claire Smith, Scarlett Leonard and Addison Clark followed in 23rd, 28th and 35th, respectively. Smith finished in 16:15.25, Leonard in 16:56.45 and Clark in 17:11.89. Eighth-grader Lawson Welch placed 38th in 17:13.86, and ninth-grader Haddie Trice finished 39th in 17:24.52.

Eighth-grader Jonah Hadaway led Greenwood’s junior boys, placing 16th in 12:52.56. Fellow eighth-graders Braeden Erickson and Tristan Cummings finished 27th in 13:34.76 and 39th in 13:57.75. Seventh-graders filled Greenwood’s next four positions. Titus Johnson placed 41st in 13:59.30, Clifton Llyod finished 44th in 14:05.38, Grady Hunt was 47th in 14:14.46, and Hayze Lowers placed 54th in 14:39.61.

From Morris’ junior high conference title to Linn’s top-10 state finish, Greenwood’s postseason featured young runners already making meaningful contributions. The graduating seniors leave their own place in the program, while the returning Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs now have another season of postseason experience to carry into their preparation for 2027.