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.