FORT LORAMIE — The Versailles girls and the boys team from Van Wert came out on top of the final standings in the Fort Loramie Cross Country Invitational, held Tuesday at White Oak Campgrounds.
Van Wert won over nine other teams with 35 points, just 14 better than runner-up Fort Loramie.
Versailles also had 35 points to outdistance Van Wert with 67 in the girls race. Fort Loramie was fourth out of seven teams.
Fort Loramie’s Jake Rethman was the boys race winner in 16:44.3 Joe Ballas was fourth and Alan Holdheide seventh for the Redskins. Noah Siegel was 16th and Tom Ballas 21st for Loramie’s top five.
Also making the top 10 was Versailles’ Joe Spitzer, second in 16:51.45, New Bremen’s Kaelen Reed, ninth in 17:57.15. Teammate Cort Speckman was one spot outside the top 10 in 11th place, and Houston’s Troy Riley was 12th.
Final team standings — 1. Van Wert 35, 2. Fort Loramie 49, 3. New Bremen 96, 4. Houston 115, 5. Versailles 141, 6. Parkway 163, 7. Sidney 176, 8. Arcanum 183, 9. Marion Local 222, 10. Troy Christian 265.
Local/area individuals
Loramie — 1. Jake Rethman 16:44.2, 4. Tom Ballas 17:20.24, 7. Alan Holdheide 17:52.48; 16. Noah Siegel 18:14.16, 21. Tom Ballas 18:30.
New Bremen — 9. Kaelen Reed 17:57.15, 11. Cort Speckman 18:05.03, 23. Ezra Ferguson 18:e32.672, 26. Jason Zircher 18:41.87, 28. Hunter Suchland 18:48.36.
Houston — 12. Troy Riley 18:07.44, 15. Ethan Knouff 18:10.91, 25. Tristin Freistuhler 18:39.52, 32. Parker Cox 19:06.53, 33. Azen Reier 19:10.47.
Versailles — 2. Joe Spitzer 16:51.45, 20. Jacob Rose 18:26.72, 35. Adam Gehret 19:13.78, 43. Nick Slonkosky 19:33.36; 44. Brooks Blakeley 19:33.91.
Sidney — 14. Jonathan Perin 18:10.47, 22. Ian Bowman 18:30.75, 42. Gavin Bockrath 19:28.97, 48. Josh Spaugy 19:43.85, 59. Eli Straman 20:08.42.
GIRLS
Makenna Brackman of New Bremen crossed the line first in the girls race, finishing in 20:39.54.
Kara Spitzer of Versailles was second in 21:20.19 and teammate Madison Grilliot was fourth in 21:28.41.
Also in the top 10 was Fort Loramie’s Rachel Schmitmeyer, fifth in 21:30.22, Morgan Ely of Houston sixth in 21:32.8, Versailles’ Brynna Blakeley seventh in 21:33.25, and New Bremen’s Bailey Bronkema eighth in 21:34.27.
Final team standings — 1. Versailles 35, 2. Van Wert 67, 3. New Bremen 78, 4. Fort Loramie 84, 5. Marion Local 128, 6. Arcanum 148, 7. Mississinawa 214.
Local/area individuals
Versailles — 2. Kara Spitzer 21:20.19, 4. Madison Grilliot 21:28.41, 7. Brynna Blakeley 21:33.25, 12. Hannah Rose 22:11.91, 12. Kenia McEldowney 22:16.84.
New Bremen — 1. Makenna Brackman 20:39.54, 8. Bailey Bronkema 21:34.27, 19. Andrea Heitkamp 22:48.06, 27. Erica Niekamp 23:14.74, 32. Aly Elking 23:48.07.
Fort Loraamie — 5. Rachel Schmitmeyer 21:30.22, 11. Claire Kazmaier 22:05.95, 14.Erin Chaney 22:25.9, 30. Kaitlyn Luebke 23:19.86, 34. Taylor Gasson 24:01.09.
JUNIOR HIGH
The Sidney boys won the junior high title with 94, to 113 for Russia.
For Sidney, Patrick McClain led the way, winning the race in 11:17.15. Ian Bonifas was 10th in 11:59.7, Clay Boberg 19th in 12:30.57, Braden Guinther 28th in 12:42.57, and Ben Spangler 36th in 12:52.78.
Russia was led by Mason Dapore in third in 11:28.4.
Houston had two in the top 10, Ethan Holbrooks sixgth in 11:39.6, and Caden Hiolbrooks eighth in 11:45.27.
Jackson Center’s Christopher Elchert was mninth in 11:47.57.
Fort Loramie won the junior high girls title with 50, to 114 for Russia.
Loramie had three in the top 10. Danielle Eilerman was fifth in 13:02.04, Corynn Heitkamp was sixth in 12:02.56, and Clara Gephart was ninth in 13:15.87. Alyssa Wrasman was 12th in 13:24.61, and Paige Rethman was 18th in 13:43.85.
Kenzi Voisard of Russia was seventh in 13:04.36 and Sidney’s Ana Adams took eighth in 12:05.18.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
