Ending out the first week of school, the boys and girls varsity cross country team headed to the 17 team invitational in Hopkins. The girls 4k race was held on Friday, September 11 and the boys 5k race was held the following day. (The boys and girls raced seperatly due to the number of athletes in the competition) The girls placed ninth overall and was only 13 points from section favorite Chaska. The boys finished 11th respectably.
Results on the girls side, leading the way for the bison was Senior Jacque Thaemart who finished 13th overall with a time of 15:51.31, and Senior Jordan Skelly who placed 37th with a time of 16:15.81. Skelly is originally in swimming but has also decided to join cross country to help carry the girls’ team to victory at both the conference and section meet. This was her first cross country meet ever.
“The cross country races are so different than swimming and track, it’s so intense because it’s only one race and everyone starts at the same time.” said Skelly.
Freshman Kailey Johnson finished third for Buffalo and placed 40th overall she had a time of 16:18.20. Following Johnson was Senior Megan Ackerman who placed 63rd overall with a time of 16:33.56. Eight-grader Hayley Downing was Buffalo’s fifth finisher who placed 109th and had a time of 17:24.70. Senior Hannah Brecht finished sixth for Buffalo and overall placed 118th she had a time of 17:31.45. Rounding out the score for the Bison was Sophomore Megan Ask who placed 136th with a time of 18:20.31.
Leading the way for the boys was Sophomore Matt Dietrich who finished 30th and had a time of 17:18.82, Junior Blake Solberg placed 56th overall finished with a time of 17:56.31. Finishing third for the bison was Senior Nick Teetzel who placed 63rd overall, he ran a time of 18:05.85. The fourth bison finisher was Freshman Dan Pedit. Pedit placed 69th overall with a time of 18:19.73, and helped carried along Freshman Andrei Casey who placed 82nd and had a time of 18:44.84.
“These two boys worked off each other early in the race and stuck together for the first two miles”, said head coach Jill Hanson of Pedit and Casey.
Rounding out the score for Buffalo with a time of 18:50.02 was Junior Jon Wedemier who finished 88th overall and Freshman Michael Swearingen took the 120th spot and had a time of 19:48.23. The boys and girls are scheduled to compete on Thursday, September 17th at the Hutchinson invitational.
-Mandy Samuelson and Sarah Durst
