The Perry cross country program hosted a total of 11 girls and 10 boys varsity teams at the Perry Golf and Country Club Thursday for the 19th annual running of the Leon Fox Invitational.
Des Moines Christian won the boys team race with 37 points, with ADM second at 43 and Winterset third at 82. Bondurant-Farrar (119) was fourth, with Ballard (142), Kuemper Catholic (148), Roland-Story (169), Greene County (185), Boone (206), Saydel (317) and Perry (328) also in action. Creston did not have enough runners for a team score.
ADM edged Roland-Story, 64-65, for the girls team crown, with the Ballard junior varsity third at 69. Winterset (86) was fourth, with Des Moines Christian (96), Creston (108), Bondurant-Farrar (178), Boone (276), Greene County (283), and Saydel (286) completing the field. Kuemper Catholic and Perry both had runners in action, but not the minimum of five required to generate a team score.
“What we are focusing on this season is individual improvement and an understanding of work ethic and an acceptance by each runner of what they need to do to personally improve,” Perry head coach Ryan Marzen said. “Today I saw many examples of that being put to good use — lots to be happy about.”
ADM’s Nate Mueller finished in a swift 15 minutes, 50 seconds to win the boys event, with DMC’s Carson Houg and Aaron Fynardt 2-3, in 16:52 and 17:09, respectively.
Perry’s first three finishers crossed 63-64-66 overall, with Jayson Chavez finishing in 20:35, Gannon Meis is 20:45, and Jeb Stewart in 21:04, respectively. Johnathan Munoz (71st, 22:10) and Bryce Anliker (74th, 24:12) also ran for the Bluejays.
Edwin Lopez-Ordonez (23:50), Mason Hoffman (26:14), Kyle Hernandez (30:12), and Sebastian Hernandez (30:24) competed for the Perry boys junior varsity. The Perry girls do not have a JV squad.
Shewayne Johnson from the Ballard JV was the girls winner with a time of 18:41. Geneva Timmerman of ADM was second in 19:18, with Braelyn Baker of Creston third in 20:01.
Perry junior Jaylene Karolus was back in action for the first time since having to quarantine when members of the Perry swim team (for which she also competes) tested positive for COVID. She finished seventh overall in 21:03.
Jayette senior Kennedy Tunink shaved nearly a minute off her previous best time by finishing 41st in 23:14. Cris Gomez 83rd in 25:58 and Misty Gomez 117th in 35:05 for the hosts.
Both Perry teams had numerous runners compete in the middle school two-mile race.
ADM was the boys victor with 43 points, with Perry seventh of 12 at 175. Dowling Catholic won the girls side with 21 points, with Perry sixth of team teams at 119.
Oscar Bellrand was the second place runner for the boys, finishing in a fast 12:11. Teammate Owen Myers was not far behind, placing 13th in 13:14. Others scoring were Renzo Saenz (51st, 15:46), Thad Stuart (53rd, 15:38), and Carlos Ruiz (56th, 16:11). Regan Girkins (59th, 16:17) and Oscar Villalobos (62nd, 16:53) rounded out the top seven.
Others runner for the MS Jays were Christobal Turrado (17:09), Kyeo Augustine (18:29), Trent Maggitt (18:33), Kenneth Martinez (20:36) and Angel Rodriguez-Molina (25:09). Stuart, Augustine, Maggitt and Rodriguez-Molina are in seventh grade, the others in eighth.
Quinn Mahler-Moreno (15:07) and Julie Maylum (15:08) passed the tape in 10th and 11th as the lead Jayettes. Olivia Christensen (29th, 15:57), Amy Diaz (32nd, 16:21), and Taryn Nehring (41st, 16:42) scored Perry as well, with the top septet completed by Mylah Meis (47th, 16:58) and Mercedes Ponce (51st, 17:41).
Maria Aguilar (18:53), Brooke Nelson (18:56), Fithawit Goitam (19:58), Denise Rivera (20:08), Reagan Baldwin (20:14), Litzy Ramirez (21:35), and Valentina Mion (23:08) were also on the course for Perry.
