The streak continues for the Wellsville-Middletown cross country team.

For the 29th consecutive year, the Tigers will have some runners at the state meet. Senior Kaleb Peak, junior Bethany Slovensky and sophomore Hunter Bickell will represent W-M at the Class 1 state meet at Gans Greek Course in Columbia on Nov. 5. All of them will compete at state for the second time.

“It’s pretty awesome that every year we have at least one person go to state,” Peak said.

Peak, Slovensky and Bickell qualified for state by placing in the top 30 at the Class 1, District 3 meet on Oct. 29 at Fulton High School. Bickell finished 16th with a 19:39 and Peak came in 20th with a 19:53 in the boys race. Slovensky placed 26th with a 24:48 in the girls race.

After the race, the trio wore new T-shirts that included lyrics from Kate Hill’s song, “Running Up That Hill.” They were designed by one of Slovensky’s relatives.

“This was an idea my dad and I came up with,” Slovensky said. “Kate Bush’s song said, ‘I’d be running up that road and running up that hill with no problems.’ We have problems running up hills, but I still thought it was cool.”

Slovensky’s race is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., while Bickell and Peak will run at 2:15 p.m.

Slovensky is back at the state meet for the first time since her freshman year. That year, she didn’t finish. She was in 31st at one point of the girls race before dropping out due to injury.

“The first goal is to finish,” Slovensky said. “I just want to do the best that I can for that day and just go out there and run.”

Slovensky was in the top 30 throughout the girls race at districts. She said she’s thrilled to go to Columbia with Peak and Bickell, who helped the Tigers place third at state in 2021.

“I’m glad I get to do it with these two,” said Slovensky, who earned her fourth medal of the season.

Bickell, who picked up a medal at districts for the second year in a row, was in ninth at one point in the first mile before dropping to 16th in the final two miles.

“My knee started acting up on me,” Bickell said. “I pushed it out and kept it to 16th and 17th until the finish.”

Peak received his fourth district medal of his high school cross country career. He said he was determined to turn in a strong performance despite having knee problems for several days.

“Giving it everything that I have left has always been my goal,” Peak said. “I was really motivated to sprint as hard as I could and go all the way to finish and pick off as many people as I could.”

Peak said he was happy that he will end his high school cross country career with a trip to Columbia.

“I looked at it this way,” Peak said. “Today was the day that I’ve been working at for the past six years. There was a lot of pressure on me. If I didn’t make it to state, this would have been my last cross country meet in high school. It was a really good motivator. I knew I had to perform my best today.”

Two other W-M seniors saw their careers end at districts. Natalie Boeckelman, a state qualifier in her freshman year, finished 37th with a 26:01. Molly Scott wrapped up her first and final season with the Tigers by placing 53rd with a 27:40.

Junior Jenelle Boeckelman, who competed at state for the last two years, finished 52nd with a 27:27 and sophomore Indica Scott placed 77th with a 32:25 in the girls race.

In the boys race, sophomore Jonah Slovensky, who was a member of last year’s third-place team, finished 50th with a 21:50, sophomore Gage Marshall came in 71st with a 24:19 and freshman Zackery Vogel placed 73rd with a 24:27.