The Tim Nixon Invitational gave Excelsior Springs cross country coach Brian Smarker and his Tigers the chance to do some testing. “Our main goal for the first 5K of the season was to get a baseline for our athletes and to see where some of our new members were in every aspect of distance running,” Smarker said. On the girls side, Braylissa Whitworth had the top baseline time for Excelsior Springs. The senior finished the 3.1-mile (5-kilometer) Sept. 2 race at the Capitol Federal Sports Complex in Liberty in 24 minutes, 55.2 seconds – good for 47th place in the varsity girls Silver Division. In other girls results, sophomore Kate Houck took 49th place in 25:00.1, sophomore Kirsten Stout was 50th in 25:01.5 and senior ChloeAlbertson placed 59th in 27:28.4. Kayleigh Norris was the Silver Division’s individual winner. The Harrisonville junior finished in 18:16.3. In the Silver Division boys competition, sophomore William Tade paced Excelsior Springs, placing 66th in 21:20.6. Junior…