The Southeast Valley cross country teams traveled the short distance to Spring Lake on Thursday, September 10th for the Greene County Cross Country meet. Weather conditions were perfect for mid-September helping to lead the Jaguars to 13 career best 5k times and 19 of the 21 runners setting a season best time between the boys and girls’ teams.

Medalists Owen Nuss (12th), Griffin Vote(18th) and August Akins(19th) led Southeast Valley to a fourth place team finish in the boys race. Denison Schleswig won the boys’ race with 47 points, Perry was second with 87 and Greene County was third with 98 points. The Jaguars also had 98 points, but lost the tie-breaker.

Griffin Vote’s career best time of 18:49 was the third fastest time for a freshman in school history. August Akins also broke the nineteen minute mark for the first time in his career as a freshman running 18:52. Owen Nuss shaved a few seconds off his season best time and finished the race in 18:29.

Landon Vote just missed the nineteen minute mark finishing the course in a career best of 19:05 (22nd). Kasen Loeffler was the fifth scorer in a time of 19:39 (29th) and Grant Peterson was the sixth runner with a career best of 20:15 (37th). Jackson Bintz was the final displacement runner for the Jaguars. His season best time of 20:35 was 45th.  

The Southeast Valley girls’ for the first time this season has at least five runners to have a team score. The Jaguars finished 7th overall with 151 points. Denison Schleswig also won the girls' side with 30 points, followed by Roland Story with 53.  

Running a career best 25:17, Emily Wilson led the girls team with a 27th place finish. The next two Jaguars across the line ran season best times. Ruby Stimpson had a 25:44 (32nd) and Charlie Dorsey crossed the finish line in 26:39 (41st). Freshmen Aleeyah Hoefer and Adelle Fors competed in their first high school meet of the season. Aleeyah finished 51st in 28:07 and Adelle was 55th in 31:18. Meia Hefley was the sixth runner for the Jaguars finishing the 5k course in 31:35 for 56th place.

Southeast Valley also had ten more boys compete in the boys race as JV runners. Running career best in the meet were Henry Sandstrom (46th, 20:36), Turner Ahlers (76th, 24:17), Eli Rude (79th, 24:35), Mason Newell (83rd, 25:55), Moses Cunigan (92nd, 27:04), and Jace Skoglund (108th, 37:12). Carter Lloyd (78th, 24:29), Max Judson (100th, 29:20), Ben Wanat (102nd, 29:53) and Jacob Wicklein (103rd, 30:54) ran season best times on Thursday.  

The Southeast Valley cross country teams will travel to Panora on Thursday, September 17th for their next meet and then head to Story City on Thursday, September 24th.