The Southeast Valley cross country teams started off the 2026 cross country season on Thursday, August 27th hosting their own invitational at the Gowrie Golf Course. Approximately 270 runners represented seventeen teams from the area.  

The Jaguar boys were the first to toe the start line on Thursday. Lone senior Owen Nuss was the first Southeast Valley runner to cross the finish line. His time of 18:33 was good enough for the 7th place medal. Also finding medal honors was sophomore August Akins who was 17th in a time of 19:20 and freshman Griffin Vote in his first high school race grabbed the last medal of the night with a 25th place finish in a time of 19:30.  

The final two scorers for Southeast Valley on Thursday were junior Landon Vote who ran his first cross country race in 19:33 for 28th and sophomore Kasen Loeffler who ran a career PR of 19:34 for 29th place.  

The top five runners combined for a team score of 103 points which claimed the team third place and only six points behind Greene County who finished second place. Class 4A Fort Dodge was the overall team champion with 43 points.

Displacement runners for the Jaguars were freshmen Grant Peterson who was 45th (20:41) and sophomore Jackson Bintz in 46th (20:43). Freshman Henry Sandstrom ran a 20:49 to finish 48th.

Returning sophomore Mason Newell set a new career PR by over two minutes finishing the course in 27:29 (132nd), while Carter Lloyd improved his course time by over three minutes from last year to run 24:41 (107th). Sophomore Max Judson also improved his course PR finishing in 31:41.

Also competing in the boys’ race for Southeast Valley were freshmen Turner Ahlers (131st, 27:03), Moses Cunigan (143rd, 29:50), sophomores Eli Rude (105th, 24:37), Jacob Wicklein (155th, 35:50) and junior Ben Wanat (149th, 31:33).

Southeast Valley had four girls entered in the girls race once the boys finished. Junior Emily Wilson in her first cross country race finished 45th place in 26:10 to lead the girls. Sophomore Charlie Dorsey was close behind running a course PR of 27:04 to finish 54th. Seniors Ruby Stimpson and Meia Hefley finished the course in 27:23 and 29:59 respectively.

Unfortunately, Southeast Valley girls did not have the required five girls needed to have a team score.

Coach Nuss after the meet commented, “This was a great first meet for us. We ran about where I thought we would. Most of our returning runners are right where they finished last year which is exciting and the newcomers and freshmen on the team were running shoulder to shoulder with them. It’s going to be fun to see where this group ends up at the end of the season.”

“I also need to thank all the volunteers that make the meet run smoothly and Mr. Hanson with the time he spends with our finish line and scoring system and other details behind the scenes. A big thank you to the City of Gowrie and the golf course workers for the use of the golf course and the patience and support of the golfers when we are out on the course. It is truly special to me after 26 years to see the amount of community members, former athletes and former parents who are out at the meet supporting all the runners and everybody in the community that either stops to wish us luck or asks how the meet went. The support of our program from all of you is greatly appreciated,” added Coach Nuss