HUXLEY — A long lay off finally ended for the Perry harriers Monday when they were able to run in the Ballard Invitational.
Cancellations had allowed Perry to participate in only one meet — Sept. 3 in Madrid — prior to Monday’s visit to Huxley.
Defending 1A state champ Madrid edged Solon for top honors in the boys Class B team race. Both teams had 43 points, but a 24-25 edge in sixth-runner placing gave the win to Madrid. Atlantic was third at 82, with Perry 11th at 298.
Madrid’s Jason Renze (16 minutes, 35.3 seconds) and Clay Pehl (16:36.8) were the top two individual placers, with Atlantic’s Craig Alan Becker (16:48.8) third overall.
Jayson Chavez, Edwin Lopez-Ordonez, and Jeb Stewart were 47-58-60 to lead Perry. The trio finished in 21:45, 22:18 and 22:23, respectively. Gannon Meis (65th, 23:12) and Orlando Gonzalez (68th, 24:10) also scored for the Bluejay varsity, with Johnathan Chavez (69th, 24:12) and Bryce Anliker (75th, 26:23) competing as well.
Solon (46), Roland-Story (69), and Atlantic (84) were the top three girls team placers, with Perry — having only four runners — not recording an official score.
Ellie Meyer of IFA-AGWSR won in 19:31, with Braelyn Baker of Creston second in 20:28, and Solon’s Kiersten Conway third in 20:51.
Perry junior Jaylene Karolus was eight overall in 21:37, with senior Kennedy Tunink finishing 37th in 25:14. Fellow seniors Cris Gomez (52nd, 27:21) and Michelle Tobar (69th, 36:54) were also on the course for the Jayettes.
The Jayettes do not have any junior varsity runners, but the Bluejays had two JV harriers in action. Freshman Mason Hoffman finished the JV race in 28:36, with sophomore Kyle Hernandez crossing in 28:39.
The Bluejays had seven eighth-graders run the two-mile boys middle school race.
Oscar Bellrand and Owen Meyers were fourth and ninth, overall, in 12:19 and 13:06, with Renzo Saenz (15:54), Reygan Girkins (15:56) and Aiden Carlson (15:58) also in action. Oscar Villalobos (16:38) and Carlos Ruiz (17:08) ran for Perry as well.
Six Jayettes competed in the two-mile girls middle school event.
Julie Maylum was 16th, in 15:09, the pace Perry. Tayrn Nehring (16:41), Valentina Mixon (16:59), Quin Mahler-Moreno (17:45), and Mercedes Ponce (18:14) scored for the Jayettes as well. Brooke Nelson (18:52) and Maria Aguilar (19:11) were also on the course for Perry. Nelson in in grade seven, the others in grade eight.
Perry is scheduled to compete Monday at ADM and Sept. 24 at AC/GC in Guthrie Center.
