The St. Pius X junior appears ready for another serious challenge for the state crown with a strong start to the 2012 season.
Sprague’s latest outstanding performance came at the Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary, N.C.
Competing against some of the best cross country runners in the southeast, Sprague finished with a personal-best time of 15 minutes, 20 seconds on the 5K (3.1-mile) course to place 10th.
“There were five individual runners that were ranked among the top 25 in the southeast in that race and for Austin to finish 10th is impressive,” St. Pius X boys cross country coach Ryan McClay said. “Where he placed in the race is even more impressive than his time, though his time is pretty impressive.”
Sprague has also finished first at the Walton/Peachtree Ridge Stage Races on Aug. 25, where he ran 9:47.11 on the 2-mile course, the Berry College Clara Bowl Invitational (15:53) Sept. 8 and at the Carrollton Invitational (16:18.37) Sept. 15.
Sprague has established himself among the top boys cross country runners in the state during his career at St. Pius X, finishing fourth in AAA at the state meet as a freshman in 2010 before placing third last year.
He has also made his mark in track and field for St. Pius, placing third in the state in the AAA boys 3,200-meter run.
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