LPJ Sports Report
BENTON, La. — Cooler air. A clear plan. A record that had stood for about a decade.
Put it all together Saturday morning, and Cedar Creek’s Luke Alexander had the recipe for something special.
Alexander ran a 15 minute, 29 second time at the Benton High Classic to break the school record in cross country, topping the previous mark held by Gabe Poulin by five seconds. That record had stood for approximately 10 years.
It was no surprise to Cedar Creek Head Coach Mikayla Stiles that he was in the mix. The two had talked through his race strategy before the start, and they both knew how close he was.
“Before the race, Luke and I talked about his race strategy and what he needed to do to put himself in a position to break the school record,” Stiles said. “We knew how close he was, and he went out there with a purpose.”
Alexander did exactly that. Stiles described a smart, determined race from the opening stretch to the finish line.
“He ran a smart, determined race from start to finish, getting out strong and finishing even stronger,” Stiles said. “Luke had his mind set on breaking that record, and he gave everything he had to make it happen.”
The conditions helped, too. The Benton High Classic is a meet the Cedar Creek program looks forward to every year, and this year’s edition delivered the first taste of cooler racing weather this season.
“The course is always great, and this year’s weather made it even better,” Stiles said.
For Stiles, the record is about more than one fast time on one fast morning.
“That is an incredible accomplishment and a testament to the hard work, dedication and commitment Luke has put into this season,” Stiles said.
Alexander’s time topped a mark that had lasted roughly 10 years, and it now sits at the top of the Cedar Creek record book at 15:29. Full results from the Benton High Classic are available on MileSplit.
Now the attention turns to the postseason as Cedar Creek will run in the regional meet Nov. 4, followed by the state championship Nov. 17.
Stiles said she hopes Alexander carries his momentum into both races, and she made clear the record fits a bigger picture for the program.
“As coaches, we couldn’t be prouder of Luke,” Stiles said. “This is a special moment not only for him but for our entire Cedar Creek cross country program. Records like this don’t happen by accident, and it’s exciting to see his hard work pay off.”
