On Oct. 6, the Ellsworth Junior-Senior High School cross country runners competed on the hills of the Ellsworth Golf Course in our home invitational. This was the sixth season for Braden Schulte, Jonathan Spachek, and Grady Mueller as part of the EJSHS cross country program, and this was their last race on their home course.

The unseasonably warm weather added to the challenge of this already tough course. In spite of this, the kids’ times were not far off of their season best or even personal best times, and when compared to past years, Braden and Jonathan each turned in their second fastest ever Ellsworth course 5K race time. Madison Newell was the EJSHS lone medalist, finishing her race in third place. Eva Neuman and Trenton Holmes both finished one spot out of the medals. Kirsten Meier was close to the medals too, only three places out of medaling.

I’d like to extend a thank you to Patrick Hammel and the Ellsworth Golf Course for allowing us to host our meet out on the links again this year. Many thanks as well to everyone who had a hand in helping us to host an excellent invitational, and thanks to everyone who came out to support and watch our runners compete.

The junior high and high school runners will compete at the NCAA League meet, hosted this year at the Minneapolis Golf Course on Oct. 13. That will be the final race of the junior high season, and will be the final high School regular season race before runners compete Oct. 24 at regionals at Norton. The results were:

Seventh Grade Girls

(16 total, 2 miles)

• Eva Neuman, 11th place, time of 20:20, personal best 2 mile race time.

Seventh Grade Boys

(20 total, 2 miles)

• Mikhail Meier, 16th place, time of 20:49.

Eighth Grade Girls

(10 total, 2 miles)

• Madison Newell, third place medalist, 15:44.

Eighth Grade Boys

27 total, 2 miles

• Trenton Holmes, 11th, 15:38.

• Billy Duncan, 22nd, 17:38.

• Nelson Neuman, 23rd, 17:40.

• Aidan Johnson, 25th, 19:05 .

High School

5K distance (3.1 miles)

Varsity Girls, 34 total

• Kirsten Meier, 18th, 27:54.

Varsity Boys

(48 total runners)

(Varsity team finished sixth)

• Braden Schulte, 20th, 20:38.

• Colton Bettenbrock, 28th, 21:46.

• Byron Johnson, 31st, 22:05.

• Jonathan Spachek, 37th, 23:06.

• Grady Mueller, 44th, 25:28.