The Bluffton High School cross country teams competed well at the Van Wert County Health Invitational meet Saturday, September 25.

The Pirate boys finished fifth in the 15-team boys event. Host VW took first with 48 points, followed by Lincolnview (83) and Shawnee (97). 

Bluffton scored 148 ponts, one point behind fourth-place Anna (147).

Erik Nygaard posted the top Bluffton finish by coming in a strong eighth out of 155 runners in 17:25.

Junior Landon Armstrong finished 12th in a time of 17:39.13. Pirate Trey Boblitt came in 37th place in 18:56.9.

Sam Derstine ended up 44th in 19:11.3. Liam Jordan crossed the line 64th in 19:48.7 to finish out the Bluffton scorers.

John Yoder came in 95th in 21:00.7, and Milo Searcy ended up 139th in 23:59.2 to round out the Pirate effort.

Brady Yingst of Perry won the boys race in a school-record time of 15:45.

VW Health Meet Boys Team Scores:

Van Wert 48 points

Lincolnview 83

Shawnee 97

Anna 147

Bluffton 148

Ottawa-Glandorf 156

Parkway 166

Allen East 256

Crestview 263

Delphos St. John's 269

Kalida 270

Elida 320

Wayne Trace 330

Waynesfield-Goshen 330

Spencerville 407

The Pirate girls ended up 10th out of 11 full teams and eight other incomplete squada represented in the VW race. Anna won the girls team crown over Shawnee, 62-76.

Bluffton freshman June Essinger paced the Pirate girls by finishing a solid 14th out of 112 runners in a time of 21:15. 

Amiari Painter came in 48th in 23:32.1. Faith Combs crossed the line 70th in 25:27.2. Teammate Kaelin Weissling was right behind her in 72nd place with a time of 25:39.7.

Greta Kauffman ended up 108th in 31:31.4 to round out the Pirate runners.

Junior Alexa Fortman of Ottawa-Glandorf won the girls race in 19:37.42, four seconds ahead of Waynesfield's Taylor Spencer.

VW Health Meet Girls Team Scores:

Anna 62 points

Shawnee 76

Ottawa-Glandorf 122

Parkway 122

Delphos St John's 136

Ft. Wayne Canterbury, Ind. 145

Van Wert 146

Lincolnview 191

Wayne Trace 196

Bluffton 238

Elida 28

Up next, Bluffton runs at the Kalida Wildcat Invitational meet Saturday morning, October 2.