2016 Nemaha Central Cross Country Invitational Full Results - click here

Area cross country teams from all three Leagues - Twin Valley, Big Seven and Northeast Kansas competed on Thursday against each other at the Nemaha Central Invitational.  

At the end of the day the Centralia girls and Axtell boys took home first place team performances, while it was the Axtell girls and the Valley Heights boys having the top individual performers. In the girls race Centralia took first out of four teams by five points led by three Top 10 runners, while Maur Hill-Mount Academy took second. Jefferson County North and Washington County girls placed third and fourth, respectively. 

In the boys competition the Axtell Eagles used three Top 10 times to help them claim the team title winning it by 47 points. JCN just edged out Maur Hill by three points for second giving the Ravens third, while Centralia took fourth only two points ahead of Washington County who rounded out the Top five. Valley Heights, Nemaha Central, Hiawatha and Horton finished out the boys team performances placing sixth through ninth. 

Overall Centralia Panthers had six runners tally Top 20 finishes on the day at the Nemaha Central Invitational with four in the girls race. Sadie and Tamra Jones led the Panthers posting times of 24:07.80 and 24:14.30 to place second and third, while Emma Holthaus with a time of 25:46.20 earned eighth place and Kaitly Becker nabbed a 14th place finish. In the boys race Dylan Boeckman continued to lead the Panthers and earned a sixth place finish with a time of 19:05.80, while Ransom Engelken finished 13th. 

Axtell Eagle boys ran their way to first place as a team with four Top 20 finishes including three in the Top 10 led by Burke Deters who behind a time of 17:35.70 took second place, less than two seconds from first. Oliver Schmitz and Quinn Buessing joined Deters again in the Top 10 placing fifth and ninth, respectively with times of 18:57.20 and 19:43.20, while Blake Porting added a 16th place finish for the Eagles. The top girls time on the day of 22:52.70 belonged to lady Eagle, Olivia Kuckleman who picked up another first place finish this year winning by over 1:10. 

Six Top 20 finishes led Maur Hill at the Nemaha Central Invitational with a pair of fourth place finishes leading the way as Grace Siebert (24:15.60) and Ayden Black (18:54.70) each took fourth in the girls and boys races, respectively. Caitlin Riley (25:33.50) and Dorothy Hoopes (25:42.70) each joined Siebert with Top 10 finishes in the girls race running to sixth and seventh place finishes, while in the boys competition saw Isaiah Price (19:16.70) take eighth and Austin Henderson added a 19th place finish. 

Washington County had five Top 20 finishes on the day and was led by a tenth place finish. Washington County was led by Tyler Simmons (19:52.40) who took tenth place in the boys race, while Eric Miller finished 12th. In the girls race Rachael Wood, Kirsten Kingsbury and Emily Meyer placed 13th, 19th and 20th for the Tigers.

For the Chargers, Rose Wendling posted a time of 26:08.80 to place tenth, while in the boys competition Andrew Noll, Alvin Sharp and Logan Baker placed 15th, 18th and 20th for the Chargers.

Valley Heights Mustangs had a trio of Top 20 performers including the top spot in the boy’s race as Adrian Pishny posted a time of 17:33.70 to win by just under two seconds, while his teammate, Alex Hardin with a time of 19:09.40 took seventh. In the girls race Ilexus Rose finished just outside the Top 10 placing 11th for the Mustangs. 

Third place with a time of 18:28.00 was the best Wetmore Cardinal performance on the day as Aaron Achten put that performance together, while Jonathan Hladky-Bailey took 11th place in the boy’s race, also for Wetmore. A ninth place by McKayla Henry highlighted the Wetmore Cardinal girl’s performances as she posted a time of 25:50.60. 

ACCHS Tigers had Victoria Caplinger race to a fifth place finish in the girl’s competition with a time of 24:15.90, while Erin Hamilton took 18th place. 

Haile Jeannerret and Belinda Ames posted finishes of 15th and 17th in the girl’s race for the Onaga Buffaloes. 

Host Nemaha Central, along with Riverside, Hiawatha and Horton each had one Top 20 finisher on the day. The Thunder saw Jordan Peterson earn a 14th place finish in the boys competition, while Riverside Cyclone, Matthew Kline posted a 17th place finish in the boys race. In the girl’s race, Molly Kettler of Hiawatha placed 12th on the day, while Deja Tilden placed 16th for Horton. 

Team scores

Girls
1.  Centralia  36
2. Maur Hill - Mt. Academy  41
3.  Jefferson County North   67
4.  Washington County   72

Boys
1. Axtell   49
2.  Jefferson County North   96
3.  Maur Hill - Mt. Academy   99
4.  Centralia   103
5.  Washington County   105
6.  Valley Heights    126
7.  Nemaha Central   144
8.  Hiawatha   156
9.  Horton   185