Excelsior Springs cross country coach Brian Smarker would probably say the course his Tigers ran Sept. 14 at the Chris Stubbs Invitational wasn’t built for speed. “This was the first hilly course we have had this year, so there were not any personal records on the day,” Smarker said, “but I was impressed … (by) our ability to endure the long hills that our runners had to climb.” Varsity runners who climbed the hills at Platte Ridge Park, located near Platte City, included four Excelsior Springs girls: sophomores Katie Houck and Kiersten Stout, and seniors Braylissa Whitworth and Chloe Albertson. Houck paced the Tigers, finishing 28th in 25 minutes, 46 seconds. Stout finished 33rd in 26:18.5, Whitworth was 35th in 26:22.9 and Albertson took 52nd in 29:36.9. Sophomore William Tade and junior Silas O’Dell represented Excelsior Springs in the varsity boys race. Tade finished 73rd in 22:24.7 and O’Dell took 76th in 22:41.3. In other results, host school Platte County won both varsity…