As high school cross country runners gear up for their respective conference races in early October, the seventh and eighth graders were given the spotlight during the Pierce Middle School Twilight.
From Pierce Community Golf Course and under the lights on Oct. 7, both Wayne and Winside seventh and eighth graders were among the 143 total runners.
The Wayne Junior High girls won their division (seven teams) with 33 points while the Blue Devil JH boys took third (nine teams) with 76 points.
No team scoring was recorded for Winside.
In the girls division, Wayne was led by eighth grader Hadley Dunklau who earned silver in 13:02.61, eighth grader Sarah Kuchta followed in fifth during a time of 13:12.05 while seventh grader Kiley Dutcher took 11th (14:05.27).
Other results were posted by seventh grader Schyler Wiseman (17th - 14:39.1), eighth grader Rose Kaup (18th - 14:45.57), seventh grader Marissa Brink (23rd - 15:00.24), seventh grader Alexis Ptacek (27th - 15:06.47), seventh grader Cora Surber (33rd - 15:19.23), seventh grader AnaBelle Cook (34th - 15:19.61), seventh grader Konstynce Owens-Webb (39th - 15:37.67), eighth grader Alyssa Bargholz (41st - 15:40.02), eighth grader Molly Allemann (43rd - 15:44.49), eighth grader Pashynce Owens-Webb (49th - 16:43.33) and seventh grader Gracie Naeve (66th - 19:15.22).
Winside results came from eighth grader MaKenna Thies in 46th (15:51.01) and eighth grader Phebe Uttecht in 60th (18:35.03).
Eighth grader Mercy Kann from Norfolk Catholic won the junior high girls two-mile in 12:34.73 among the 75 runners. Following Wayne's 33 points was Battle Creek in second (54) during the team race.
During the boys division, Wayne was led by a 10th place medal from seventh grader Calvin Lipp in 12:48.21 while eighth grader Benjamin Patefield took 17th (13:32.2).
Other Blue Devil results came from eighth grader Owen Wynia (24th - 14:06.27), seventh grader Tyson Hoffman (37th - 15:06.98), seventh grader Callan Sims (54th - 17:17), seventh grader Mason Mendez (58th - 18:02.55) and seventh grader Grant Law (64th - 19:11.25).
Winside's seventh grader Rei Shan Sinder finished 67th (21:42.46).
Eighth grader Seth Jacobson from Yankton (SD) won the junior high boys two-mile in 11:21.4 among the 68 runners. Yankton (SD) held off Norfolk middle school (16-28) in the team race.
The Wayne High girls and boys cross country program will return to action at the O'Neill Golf Course on Oct. 9 during the Mid State Conference Championships starting at 4:30 p.m.
Wayne High will also compete in the C-3 District Championships from Pierce Community Golf Course on Wednesday, Oct. 15 starting at 4 p.m.
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge will travel to Summerland for the Greater Northeast Activities Conference Championships on Thursday starting at 4 p.m.
Wakefield will head to Northridge Country Club in Tekamah for the East Husker Conference Championships on Thursday starting at 4:30 p.m.
Both Tri County Northeast (Allen/Emerson-Hubbard) and Winside will compete in the Lewis & Clark Cross Country Championships also on Friday from Rolling Hills Country Club in Wausa starting at 4 p.m.
LCC, Winside, Tri County Northeast and Wakefield are all scheduled to compete in the D-2 District Championships at Skyview Lake in Norfolk on Oct. 16 starting at 4:30 p.m.
