By Cort Reynolds

The Bluffton High School boys cross country team finished a strong ninth out of 32 teams at the Div. III A Tiffin Cross Country Carnival race on September 10.

Ottawa Hills won the boys team title with 93 points. Maplewood was a distant second with 218 points.

The Pirate boys scored 304 points.

Senior Erik Nygaard finished an impressive fourth out of 219 runners. Senior teammate Landon Armstrong ended up not far behind him in seventh. Sam Derstine crossed the line in 40th.

Lady Pirate sophomore June Essinger finished 33rd out of 219 runners in the Tiffin Cross Country Carnival race to pace the Bluffton girls.

The Pirate girls team finished 26th out of 36 teams at the Div. III Tiffin race.

Fort Loramie won the girls team crown with 126 points, followed by Minster (136) and Liberty Center (179).

Bluffton runs at the Ottawa-Glandorf Invitational Saturday, September 17.

Bluffton boys results
Place - Runner - Time
4 - Erik Nygaard - 16:18.0
7 - Landon Armstrong - 16:35.5
40 - Sam Derstine - 17:47.5
122  - Landon Sehlhorst  - 19:16.0
132 - John Yoder - 19:28.6
138 - Liam Jordan - 19:44.3
144 - Jonah Rehm - 19:47.9

Bluffton girls results
Place - Runner - Time
33 - June Essinger - 20:46.5
139 - Grace Conley - 23:57.5
142 - Amairi Painter - 24:05.4
171 - Mackay Tuttle - 25:06.3
181 - Elizabeth Honse - 25:36.3
190  - Kaelin Weissling - 25:49.1
208 - Sadie Tarplee - 26:51.7