By Cort Reynolds

VAN WERT __The Bluffton High School cross country teams competed at the Van Wert Hospital Ohio Health Invitational meet on Saturday, September 21.

Host Van Wert won the meet with 47 points. Lincolnview finished second (90), followed by Crestview (98).

The Pirate boys finished 10th out of 14 teams with 311 points. The Pirate girls came in ninth out of 13 squads with 243 points. 

Owen Scott of meet host Van Wert won the boys race in a time of 15:44.5.

O-G’s Anna Buddelmeyer won the 112-runner girls race in 18:49 2.

PIRATE BOYS
Pirate Levi Fenzl finished a strong 10th out of 178 runners in a solid time of 17:24.0 to lead Bluffton.

Owen Shoemaker was the second Bluffton finisher back in 63rd place with a time of 19:43.4. 

Adam Fritsch was 129th in 22:30.2. Toby Clevidence came in 134th in 22:42.6. Elijah Diffin was the fifth Pirate scorer at 140th in 23:25.

Sixth man Levin Essinger ended up 163rd in 26:40.9. The Pirate boys average finish time was 21:10.

BLUFFTON GIRLS

Pirate June Essinger finished 28th to post the top Bluffton girls showing. She crossed the line in 22:44.3.

Teammate Xandra Gatchel finished 54th in 25:05.9. Zaeda Hermiller was right behind her in 56th in 25:22.8. 

Pirate Elizabeth House came in 58th with a time of 25:36.7. Alayna Mueller was 75th in 27:05.9 as the fifth Pirate scorer.

The average time for Bluffton girls was 25:12.

The Pirate teams run at the Kalida Invitational Saturday, Sept. 28.