By Cort Reynolds

DELPHOS__The Bluffton cross country teams opened their Fall 2026 season at the Delphos St. John’s Invitational meet on Saturday, August 29. 

PIRATE GIRLS
The Pirate girls finished fourth out of seven teams. Host Delphos St. John’s won the girls meet handily with 51 points. Shawnee was second (77), followed by Bath (83) and Bluffton (86).

LCC was fifth (112), Sidney-Lehman Catholic (126) and Kalida (138).

Pirate Xandra Gatchel finished fourth in the girls race with a time of 21:03.

PIRATE BOYS
The Bluffton boys came in eighth out of nine teams. SLC won the boys title with 38 points. Shawnee was second (64), followed by New Knoxville (85) and Kenton. 

The Pirates scored 183 points to finish just one behind LCC (182), and ahead of local rival Allen East (231).

Wade Manns of Kenton won the boys meet in a school-record time of 16:16.

Bath’s Penny Francis took first in the girls race with a time of 19:50.

Bluffton runs in the Columbus Grove Invite Saturday, Sept. 5.

GIRLS DSJ INVITE TOP 10:

1. Penny Francis (BATH) - 19:50 2. Marissa Ledley (KENT) - 20:09 

3. Kylee Korte (AE) - 20:38 4. Xandra Gatchel (BLU) - 21:03 

5. Rae Newman (LCC) - 21:03 6. Morgan Schrock (BAT) - 21:10 

7. Claire Martz (DSJ) - 21:15 8. Hannah Brunk (SPE) _ 21:16 

9. Chloe Kouns (SHAW) - 21:20 10. Maria Bockey (DSJ) - 21:45

BOYS DSJ INVITE TOP 10: 

1. Wade Manns (KENT) - 16:16 2. Garry Phipps (KENT) - 16:58                3. Tanner Braun (SPE) - 17:25 4. Ian Delgado (SHAW) - 17:40 

5. Kamdyn Lauf (SHAW) - 17:41 6. Luke Dexter (SLC) - 17:53 

7. Thaddeus Bezy (SLC) - 17:59 8. Kieran O'Leary (SLC) - 17:51 

9. Ryan Moreland (SHAW) - 17:59 10. Newton Rocke SLC) - 18:01