By Cort Reynolds

COLUMBUS GROVE__ The Bluffton cross country teams competed in the Northwest Conference championship meet at Columbus Grove on Saturday, October 11.

The Pirate boys finished fifth out of five teams, while the Bluffton girls came in fourth out of four teams at the league race.

Crestview won the boys team title with 24 points, while Columbus Grove finished second with 31. Lincolnview was third (72), followed by Allen East (126) and Bluffton (128).

Grove captured the girls team title with 36 points. Lincolnview came in a close second (40), followed by Crestview (74) and Bluffton (86).

PIRATE BOYS
Pirate freshman Atticus Prothro finished 25th in 18:30.9 to pace the Bluffton boys.

Sophomore Toby Clevidence came in 28th in 18:37.5. Sophomore Levin Essinger ran a 19:43.4 to cross the line 41st.

Sophomore Liam Moore ended up 45th in 20:41.3. Freshman Micah DeMarco finished 46th in 20:43.2.

Freshman Logan Stechschulte came home 50th in 21:34.4.

Freshman Max Fritsch ended up 54th in 22:17.2. Freshman Caleb Kantner came in 56th in 24:02.2. Damian Criblez finished 57th in 24:23.9.

Crestview’s Lincoln Smith won the 58-runner boys race with a time of 15:50.2.

PIRATE GIRLS
Bluffton freshman Tessa Tarplee was the top Pirate girls finisher. She came in 10th with a time of 21:41.3.

Senior Lydia Tarplee came in 17th in 22:42.90. Sophomore Zaeda Hermiller ended up 25th in 23:25.4.

Senior Elizabeth Honse finished 31st in 24:10.7. Junior Tala Gipson came in 34th in 26:18.7.

Lancer Brynleigh Moody crossed the finish line first in the 49-runner girls race with a time of 19:29.3.

NEXT MEET
Bluffton runs in the district meet on Saturday, Oct. 18.