Cross country action got under way early this week as area teams competed against each other in the rescheduled Hiawatha cross country Invitational.

It was another action packed meet with great performances by many schools individually and team wise.

In the girl’s competition the Hiawatha Red Hawks worked their way to yet again another first place performance this year and dominating fashion tallying 35 team points, winning the team crown by 30 points. Hiawatha was lead on the day by three top 10 performances on the day, as Jordan Puvogel lead the way for the Red Hawks taking home second place with a time of 15:37.31, as she was beat out for the first time this year. Freshman, Molly Kettler continued to compile top five performances this year placing fourth with a time of 17:02.38. Kailey Davis picked up the other top 10 finish for the Red Hawks placing ninth on the day (17:44.09).

The Sabetha Bluejays took home second place as a team and did so being led by a pair of top 10 finishers including senior, Brianna Gruber who ran to her best finish taking home third place with a time of 16:53.97. She was joined by Miranda Huettner in the top 10 who notched a sixth place performance behind a time of 17:24.47.

Only two other schools finished the day with a pair of girls in the top 10 and that was Perry Lecompton and Atchison.

Atchsion's, Sarah Jaloma posted the best performance of the day as she raced neck and neck with Hiawatha's, Puvogel last week and this got the best of the Red Hawk, winning by nearly 12 seconds with a time of 15:25.50. Her teammate, Lyndi Hanson grabbed an eighth place finish for the Lady Red with a time of 17:37.03.

For the Kaws of Perry Lecompton Lexia Jamison and Lauren Jamison both notched top 10 performances finishing fifth and tenth place. Lexia posted a time of 17:20.00 for fifth place and Lauren finished with a time of 17:46.93 for tenth.

The lone other top 10 performance came at the hands of ACCHS Tiger, Madison Bissell who tallied a seventh place finish with a time of 17:25.90, helping the Tigers finish third place as a team.

Boys competition look like a mirror image of the girls at the top, with Hiawatha and Sabetha notching first and second place team performances, followed by Nemaha Valley in third place.

For the Red Hawks they were paced by four top 10 finishes taking home first, third, eighth and ninth place finishes. Improving upon his second place finish last week sophomore, Brandt Houk posted a time of 18:07.31 to take home a first place finish. Jesse Quinn followed his teammate two spots later in third with a time of 18:21.09, while Tyler Boeckman took home eighth (18:39.84) and Connor Winters placed ninth (18:41.06).

Only one other boys team manage multiple top 10 finishers and that was the second place team in Sabetha as Bluejay runners, Keegan Cox, Corbin Cox and Mitchell Lierz notched second, fourth and seventh place finishes. Keegan raced to a time of 18:14.69 for second place, Corbin posted a time of 18:23.46 for fourth place and Mitchell notched a time of 18:30.21 to take seventh place.

Holton, Nemaha Valley and Atchison grabbed the other three top 10 finishes on the day. For the Wildcats of Holton, Dalton Colhouer took home fifth place posting a time of 18:27.81, while Nemaha Valley Raider, Colin Lierz followed in sixth place with a time of 18:29.34. Atchison Redman, Justin Whitmer took home tenth place after posting a time of 18:47.50.

Many of the area teams involved in the makeup meet, now turn their attention to a quick turn around and will compete later this week in action again.

Full 2013 Hiawatha Cross Country Results -- click here