LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — Jack McCrea and Parker Williams spent most of the Ray-Pec Cross Country Invitational running side by side.
It took a photo finish to separate them.
McCrea won the 5-kilometer race in 16 minutes, 23.6 seconds. Williams finished just two-tenths of a second behind, crossing in 16:23.8.
“It was a 100-meter dash at the end of a cross-country race,” Ray-Pec coach Michael Shortino said.
The two senior teammates said they had never experienced a finish quite like it.
“It was exciting. I’d never really been in a situation like that, where it’s just me and Parker,” McCrea said.
Williams said the two runners stayed together throughout the race.
“Even when people are pack-running, usually someone pulls away, but we were together the whole time,” Williams said.
The finish was so close that McCrea said he couldn't tell who had crossed the line first.
“We were basically right next to each other,” he said. “I couldn’t have told you who was ahead.”
Williams said McCrea had a slight edge.
“Yeah, he was ahead of me. Just by a step, though. It wasn’t much,” Williams said.
For Shortino, having his two runners finish first and second was a memorable moment.
“It was nice having both of our boys at 1 and 2,” he said.
The teammates have pushed each other throughout their high school careers. Williams currently has the fifth-fastest time in Missouri, while McCrea ranks 15th.
“Always pushing each other, always in the front. Just cool to have a guy like Jack with me to do everything with,” Williams said.
McCrea said having a teammate nearby can make the difference in a race.
“When you’re running with someone, it just helps you go faster,” he said.
Their performance at the Ray-Pec Invitational earned both runners Athlete of the Week honors from Hy-Vee and KSHB-41.