Greyhounds host season-opening cross country meet

The cross country season got off to a good start for the Loyal-Greenwood team last week after it competed at its home invitational on Aug. 30. The girls team placed in the middle of the pack with the finishes from their athletes and the individuals from the boys recorded solid race times for the start of the season.

Freshman Summer Smith was the surprise leader for the Greyhound girls on the course, finishing just outside the top 10, taking 11th place with a time of 23:48.3. Senior Leah Scherer was the next finisher for the team, taking 22nd with a time of 25:46 and teammates Maci Bogdonovich and Addison Holm finished 10 places apart, with Bogdonovich earning 24th with a time of 25:53.7 and Holm taking 34th with a time of 26:47.8.

Four other runners competed at the Loyal High School for the Loyal-Greenwood team. Bailey Eckes ran a 27:02.7 to take 37th, Katlund Etlicher placed 41st with a time of 27:12.1, Aubre Robida finished in 49th with a time of 27:47.8 and Halle Aumann placed after her in 50th with a time of 28:10.1.

The Loyal-Greenwood boys had three individuals run at their home invite. Connor Genteman placed seventh overall, running an 18:03.2. Cody Eckes came through about three minutes later, placing 37th with his time of 21:38.6. Lucas Nielsen also competed for the boys, finishing in 76th place with a time of 25:00.7.

As a team, the Loyal-Greenwood girls earned 121 points to place fifth out of 10 teams at the invite. Teams competing at Loyal were Colby (59), Fall Creek (70), Bloomer (87), Eau Claire Regis (98), Chippewa Valley Lightning Bolts (133), Thorp-Gilman (154), Owen-Withee (230), McDonell Central (232), and Neillsville-Granton (242). Columbus Catholic, Stanley-Boyd and Osseo-Fairchild all fielded incomplete girls teams.

Like Eau Claire Regis and Owen-Withee, the Loyal-Greenwood boys did not have enough individuals at the invite to earn points as a team. Taking team places in the boys race were Bloomer (34), McDonell Central (54), Columbus Catholic (124), Chippewa Valley Lightning Bolts (131), Colby-Abbotsford (140), Fall Creek (155), Stanley-Boyd (173), Osseo-Fairchild (207), Thorp-Gilman (209) and Neillsville-Granton (240).

CHEYENNE THOMAS/STAFF PHOTO