By Cort Reynolds
COLUMBUS GROVE - The Bluffton cross country teams competed at the annual 45-team, three-division Columbus Grove Invitational last Saturday. 

The Pirate boys harriers took 11th in the 15-team gray division boys standings with 297 points. Columbus Grove won the boys title with 60 points, followed by Tinora (78) and Anna (82). 

Senior Elijah Conley was the top Pirate runner as he finished 38th, one spot and three seconds ahead of sophomore teammate Sam Derstine.

Bluffton boys times, place
Elijah Conley     18:12.48        38th
Sam Derstine     18:15.20        39th
Trey Boblitt     19:30.95        67th
Wyatt Lovell     19:42.31        72nd
Jonah Rehm          20:08.26        81st
Liam Jordan     22:36.41        91st
Carter Dailey     22:49.13        92nd

Junior Alex Albers of Minster won the boys individual race in 15:49.22.
        
Minster captured first in the 15-team gray division girls event with 29 points. Woodmore was a distant second with 81 points. Bluffton did not have enough runners to field a girls team score.

Lady Pirate freshman Amairi Painter finished 69th in a field of 99 runners in the girls gray division race. She finished with a time of 24:52.83.

Fellow frosh Kaelin Weissling came in 74th in a time of 25:41.82.

Carey junior Sarah Reinhart won the girls race in 18:21.19.

Bluffton runs at the Spencerville Invitational Saturday, Sept. 12. They then participate in the Ottawa-Glandorf Blue-Gold Invite Sept. 19.