By Cort Reynolds

The Bluffton High School cross country teams competed at the Columbus Grove Invitational meet Saturday, August 2.

The Pirate girls finished eighth in a field of 14 teams. Minster won the girls team title with 41 points, followed by West Liberty Salem (57) and Botkins (81).

Bluffton scored 253 points to edge Carey in ninth place by a point.

• Junior June Essinger posted the top Pirate finish by coming home 26th in a time of 21:21.30.
• Senior Ella Armstong finished 50th in 22:38.32.
• Senior Amairi Painter ended up 74th in 24:21.63.
• Sophomore Elizabeth Honse crossed the line 92nd in 25:34.14.
• Sophomore Lydia Tarplee finished 80th in 24:36.29.
• Senior Kaelin Weissling finished 115th in 27:07.34. Junior Faith Combs came home 127th in 28:24.6.
• Sophomore Alayna Mueller ended up 138th in 30:32.9.

Botkins senior Brittany Arnold won the 127-runner girls race in a time of 18:35.46.

West Liberty Salem won the boys meet with 77 points, followed closely by Maplewood (83), Lincolnview (86) and Columbus Grove (87).

The Pirates were one boy short of the requisite five runners needed to field a team score.

• Senior Levi Fenzl ended up 50th in 18:51.4 to post the top Pirate boys finish.
• Pirate Camden Verb finished 82nd with a time of 20:13.65.
• Freshman Adam Fritsch crossed the finish line 21:51.14 in 21:51.14.
• Junior Elijah Diffin came in 114th in 22:35.98.

Maplewood senior Alex Donaldson won the 130-runner boys race in a time of 15:55.6.