By Cort Reynolds

COLUMBUS GROVE __ Two Bluffton High School cross country runners have qualified for regional competition. Senior Levi Fenzl and Senior June Essinger both advance to postseason competition. 

Boys Cross Country

Senior Levi Fenzl finished sixth in a field of 144 runners at the Div. III district boys cross country meet at Columbus Grove Saturday.

Fenzl’s sixth-place finish in a time of 16:23.13 qualified him for the regional meet next weekend. The top 24 finishers made it to regionals.

Meet host Grove won the boys team title with a score of 56 points. Crestview was second with 70 points, followed by Lincolnview (103), Minster (116) and Marion Local (118).

The Bluffton boys finished 15th out of 18 teams with 394 points. The Pirates beat USV (435), New Knoxville (467) and Perry (468).

Coldwater senior Mason Ayers won the boys race in 15:51.15.

The average Pirate boys time was 19:53.

• 6  Levi Fenzl 12 Bluffton 16:23.13
• 93 Levin Essinger 9 Bluffton 19:33.47
• 95 Toby Clevidence 9 Bluffton 19:39.09
• 118 Adam Fritsch 10 Bluffton 20:54.40
• 131 Elijah Diffin 12 Bluffton 22:59.25

Girls Cross Country

Minster cruised to the girls Div. III district crown at Columbus Grove Saturday with just 43 points. Lincolnview was a distant second with 94 points. 

The Bluffton girls finished 10th in a field of 19 teams with 307 points.

Senior June Essinger posted the top Pirate girls finish in 22nd place with a time of 20:42.42. The top 28 female finishers made it to regionals.

Lincolnview junior Brynleigh Moody won the 139-runner girls race in 18:55.09.

The average Bluffton girls time was 23:18.

• 22 June Essinger 12 Bluffton 20:42.42
• 56 Xandra Gatchel 9 Bluffton 22:51.27
• 57 Zaeda Hermiller 9 Bluffton 22:52.89
• 89 Elizabeth Honse 11 Bluffton 24:20.51
• 106 Alayna Mueller 11 Bluffton 25:44.10
• 109 Lydia Tarplee 11 Bluffton 26:10.79
• 125 Faith Combs 12 Bluffton 28:14.22