WINTERSET, IA — Almost 500 cross country runners participated Tuesday in the six-part Winterset Invitational, which was divided into middle school, grade 9-10, and grade 11-12 races for both boys and girls.
The Winterset boys scored 33 points to win the 11-12 race, with Perry sixth in a six-team field at 157. There were 58 runners involved.
Perry finishers included Julian Guzman (23rd, 21 minutes, 7.38 seconds), Jonathan Chavez (32nd, 23:09.77), Gannon Meis (33rd, 23:12.03), Mason Hoffman (34th, 23:31.75) and Chad Gray (35th, 24:21.96).
Sixty-five boys ran in the 9-10 race, with Des Moines Christian first at 34 points and Perry seventh of seven at 128.
Yonas Andemichael (4th, 18:53.72) and Thad Stewart (13th, 20:33.14) continue to run well for the Bluejays. Owen Myers (34th, 24:19.27), Aiden Carlson (36th, 24:28.25) and Kyeo Augustine (41st, 29:47.7) also scored, with Isaac Ballard (42nd, 30:44.12) running for Perry as well.
Winterset (50) won the five-team girls 11-12 race, with Denise Rivera (44th, 38:52.38) the only Jayette in the 46-harrier event.
The girls 9-10 race featured 53 runners, with Ballard (25) winning while Perry was sixth of seven at 162.
Julie Maylum (25th, 26:35.15) and Amy Diaz (26th, 26:35.19) crossed the finish line nearly side-by-side to lead Perry. Natalie Castillo (34th, 28:16.92), Mercedes Ponce (37th, 29:21.3), and Mylah Meis (40th, 30:42.71) completed the scoring quintet, with Iliana Ledesma (43rd, 38:02.3) also in action.
Middle school races are two miles in length for both boys and girls. A huge field of 142 ran in the boys race, which Indianola (58) won, with Perry ninth of 10 at 241.
Thomas Clark-Obbink was the first Jay to cross, finishing in 13:22.52. Gavin Leslie (37th, 14:31.07), George Krohn (62nd, 16:59.1), Diego Diaz-Cardenas (63rd, 17:17), and Jerson Ramirez (66th, 18:17.55) also scored for Perry, with Edwyrd Steil (68th, 16:58.27) running as well.
Indianola (31) won the grade 7-8 111-runner event, with Perry fifth of eight at 147.
Lily Myers sped to fifth place in 13:52.84 for the Jayettes, with Ellie Hughes 25th in 16:16.59 and Harper Peterson 30th in 16:49.45. Payton Pierchbacher (43rd, 20:14.77) and Aleah Karolus (44th, 20:29.89) scored for Perry, with Haley Nelson (46th, 20:53.22) and Cali Hernandez (50th, 21:51.78) also running the course.
Perry returns to action Saturday at the Greene County Invite in Jefferson.
