By Cort Reynolds
OTTAWA - The Bluffton boys cross country team finished fifth out of nine teams at the Ottawa-Glandorf Blue/Gold Invitational Saturday.
The Pirate boys competed in the blue division of the two-race, 19-team event at the Ottawa Memorial Park.
Senior Elijah Conley paced the Pirates by finishing 15th out of 95 runners in 18:28.5. Sophomore teammate Sam Derstine crossed the finish line 14 seconds behind him in 19th place.
Van Wert won the blue division event with 36 points, followed by host O-G with 54. Bluffton scored 132 to finish ahead of Kenton, Elida, Paulding and Bath.
Max Buddelmeyer of O-G won the individual race in 17:17.43.
Bluffton finishers w/time and place:
Elijah Conley 18:28.50 15th
Sam Derstine 18:42.36 19th
Brandon Good 19:13.59 29th
Jonah Rehm 19:25.99 33rd
Trey Boblitt 19:41.34 36th
Wyatt Lovell 20:42.09 46th
Isaiah Conley 20:42.57 47th
Boys Team Scores O-G Blue Div.
1 Van Wert 36 points
2 Ottawa-Glandorf 54
3 St. Marys 97
4 Patrick Henry
5 Bluffton 132
6 Kenton 141
7 Elida 153
8 Paulding 182
9 Bath 230
Holgate won the boys gold division 10-team title. They took the first five individual spots to post a perfect score of 15. Holgate junior Richard Bower won in a time of 16:54.
Freshman Amairi Painter finished 55th in a field of 108 girl runners in 23:59.83 to pace Bluffton.
Pirate freshman Kaelin Weissling came in 80th with a time of 25:58.08.
Junior Lillee Stewart of Spencerville took first in the girls race in 19:54.07.
Van Wert won the 13-team girls O-G title with 79 points, comfortably ahead of second-place Delphos St. John's (93).
The Pirates will run at the Van Wert Hospital Invitational Saturday, September 26.
