By Allie Paulzine The Murray County Central/ Fulda Warriors cross-country teams competed in their third meet of the season on September 4 at the Panther Invitational in Tracy, Minnesota, turning in strong performances at the junior high, junior varsity, and varsity levels.
In the junior varsity 4000-meter races, the Warriors were led by Elijah Conway, who placed 25th in 23:43. Teammate Carson Sykora followed close behind in 27th at 23:46. On the girls’ side, Johanna Pickard ran to 31st with a time of 28:58.
The varsity boys’ team had an impressive showing, finishing with 69 points. Leading the pack was Aiden Appel, who earned 4th place in 17:48, just a second ahead of teammate Matthew Stapek in 5th at 17:49. Alex Betz added a 16th-place finish in 19:19, while Beckett Stelter (22nd, 20:07) and Tyler Reith (29th, 20:24) rounded out the scoring five. Also competing were Wesley Hause (34th, 20:52), Micah Janssen (43rd, 21:26), Walker Biren (62nd, 23:17), and Yordi Oliveros (67th, 23:40).
The varsity girls also turned in strong performances. Laiken Farris brought home the individual title with a winning time of 20:20, while Mara Clarke secured 3rd place in 21:17. Holland Vogel added a 13thplace finish in 22:33, and Isabela Schreier crossed the line in 41st at 26:10.
At the junior high level, the Warriors’ boys captured the team championship with just 26 points. Conner Pieske led the way with a 5th-place finish in 7:41, followed by Garrett Reith (7th, 8:00), Carter Larson (9th, 8:04), and Kole Appel (11th, 8:12). Rounding out the group were Allen Ahrens (16th, 8:25) and Bobby Keller (20th, 8:38).
For the junior high girls, Hadley Harms paced the team with a 23rd-place finish in 10:14. She was followed by Cassie Scandrett (25th, 10:37), Tessa Ahlquist (29th, 10:47), Sophia Hammersma (31st, 11:02), and Alexis Pickard (34th, 11:12).
With the varsity boys tallying 69 points and the junior high boys claiming the team title, the MCC/F Warriors demonstrated depth and consistency as they continue to build momentum in the early stages of the season.
