Delphos St. John's Blue Jay Invitational- Saturday, August 27, 2011
By Hannah Chappell-Dick
Bluffton runners toed the starting line Saturday and prepared to race for the second time this year. The meet, called the Blue Jay Invitational, was in Delphos.
At the sound of the gun, 150 runners sprint towards the first turn, vying for a good position to pass through a narrow opening in the fence. Since 2010, the meet changed to include a more open homestretch, as well as many new schools' teams to compete against, resulting in a more exciting environment for athletes and spectators.
Bluffton Girls 5th of 14 Teams
Though placing third in 2010, the Lady Pirates were surprised by the addition of some talented teams to the roster, including rivals Liberty-Benton.
Scoring 178 points, Bluffton placed a respectable fifth, with a much improved Pandora-Gilboa team only 9 points away with 187. Two Northwest Conference teams eclipsed Bluffton; Spencerville won with 54 points and Lima Central Catholic placed 4th with 158.
Chappell-Dick led the charge, taking the individual crown in 19:37.04, a little under a minute ahead of 2nd place, Kalida's Jessica Doepker. Doepker, who missed an All-Ohio title by one place at last year's state meet, ran a 20:30.48. Junior Julie Althaus crossed the line next for Bluffton in her first official race as an upperclassman, placing 33rd in 22:45.57.
Rounding out the scoring for Bluffton was a solid pack of 3 runners, each running season best times. Morgan Humphreys hit a top-50 finish, placing 48th in 23:31.62. An athlete from Kalida slipped in front of
Audrey Marshall right at the finish line, but fancy footwork helped Audrey stay on her feet and place 55th in 24:02.01. Delaney Reineke had Audrey's back and finished close behind, placing 59th in 24:10.10.
Freshman Haley Keller, adjusting well after switching from the 2-mile Junior High race distance to the full high school 5k, crossed the line next for Bluffton, placing 85th in 25:43.34. Morgan Schroeder (26:13.60) and Courtney Barnett (26:43.75) placed 92nd and 101st. Adel Sommers was 114th overall, with a 27:24.39 effort, and Noelle Neinze was 139th with a 32:12.70.
Bluffton Boys Lack a Team, but Not Heart
Bluffton only has three male runners, and though that is not enough for a team, they aren't stopped from competing to the best of their abilities individually.
Columbus Grove won the boys' team title with 60 points. Van Wert Freshman Conner Holiday won the race in 16:58.32.
Jonathan Nisly led the way for Bluffton with another sub-19 time, placing 27th in 18:42.54. Alan Childs added one more race to his repertoire, placing 89th in 20:40.72. Stefan Stechschulte ran a PR in his first race this season, placing 138th in 24:04.22.
Bluffton anticipates welcoming newcomer Ellis Barnes from Cory- Rawson to the cross country roster as well as a possible 5th member to be eligible to compete in the team standings.
Pandora-Gilboa Makes Huge Strides
After graduating senior Sarah Flickinger, P-G knew they would be suffering a loss. They bounced back as a team, however, and have a promising group of girls to compete this year, as well as two boys.
At the Blue Jay Invitational, the girls finished in 6th of the 14 teams.
Sophomore Vanessa McCullough is back this year to lead the Rockets. She placed 16th in 21:23.72. Senior Captain Megan Schneck was next, placing 34th in 22:49.95. Close behind was Audrey Sprunger, who placed 38th in 23:02.88.
Also scoring for P-G were Breana Hovest (23:21.43, 45th) and Hunter Hermiller (24:58.65, 73rd). Seniors Tayler Hiegal (26:46.37, 103rd) and Candice Vance (27:47.13, 118th) rounded out P-G's solid 7-girl team.
Also competing for P-G were freshmen Grant Lugibihl and Jacob Miller. Lugibihl placed 65th in 20:02.32 and Miller was 108th in 21:51.35.
Next on the Schedule: Columbus Grove Invitational
Both teams will compete in the Columbus Grove Invitational next Saturday. If you come to one cross country meet all season, this is the one to attend.
As the first runner breaks through the fence and finishes the last 400m on the track, speakers blast classic hits such as "Don't Stop Believing," making for an extra dramatic finish. Expect some time drops next week on one of the fastest courses of the season.
