Blossom boys win 3-team meet

The fall of the year is a perfect time to go for a run.
If you are a member of a high school cross country team, it definitely is a perfect time to go for a run.
Blooming Prairie's Hosea Baker led the Awesome Blossoms contingent with a third place finish that helped the Blossoms with a three-team meet with Pacelli and USC at the Blooming Prairie Country Club on Sept. 15.
Baker's time, his career best, over the 3.1-mile course was 19:11.6. He finished behind Jayden Lewis of Pacelli who ran the course in 18:29.5 and behind Micah Hansen of USC who motored the course in 18:57.7.
Other BP boys finishers were: Jesse Cardenas, fifth in 20:14.4; Alex Miller, sixth in 20:22.8; Luke Larkoski, eighth in 20:27.6; Tyler Forystek, ninth in 20:30.4; Sylan Johnson, 10th in 20:49.3; Ethan Grant, 16th in 22:17.0; Boone Carlson, 17th in 22:23.9; Stephen Fennell, 19th in 22:37.8; Joe Pirkl, 21st in 22:48; Mitchell Fiebiger, 24th in 25:35.4; Sam Michaud, 26th in 28:48; Alex Riley, 27th in 30:02.7 and Tommy Donnelly, 28th in 37:00.3.
"Our runners 2-6 really ran well as a pack and finished only 35 seconds apart," said BP coach John Bruns. "Those 5 guys (Jesse Cardenas, Alex Miller, Luke Larkoski, Tyler Forystek, and Dylan Johnson) did a great job taking turns leading the group and pushing each other," he added.
Bobbie Bruns, a junior, led the way for the Blossom girls with a season best time and a third place finish. She ran the course in 23:35.2. She followed Kirsten Koopal of Pacelli, first in 21:15.8 and Lauren Mutschler, second in 23:14.2.
Other Blossom finishers were: Megan Oswald, sixth in 25:11.8; Emily Miller, ninth in 25:35.2; Chloe McCarthy, 12th in 25:53.3; Maggie Bruns, 13th in 26:09.9; Abby Smith, 17th in 27:07.3; Asha Lighthizer, 20th in 27:51.8; Haven Carlson, 21st in 28:14.6; Ashleigh Alwes, 22nd in 29:23.9; Rose Michaud, 23rd in 30:49.0; Lauren Schammel, 27th in 31:59.1; Anna Pauly, 28th in 32:21.7 and Melanie Winzenburg, 29th in 32:21.8.
Oswald ran their best times of the year. McCarthy and Maggie Bruns each ran "fantastic" final miles to pass USC's fourth and fifth runners to move the team ahead into second place behind Pacelli.
Pacelli won the girls meet with a score of 30. BP was next at 43 and USC was third at 47.
In the junior high girls meet, Lila Quail of BP was first in 14:11.3. Other BP junior high girls finishes were: Rachel Winzenburg, fifth in 19:33.3; Anna Haberman, seventh in 20:07.9; Shanna Halverson, ninth in 20:35.8; Lily Schammel, 10th in 20:36.4 and Olivia Gonzales, 12th in 22:10.4.
Blooming Prairie junior high boys had the top four finishers: Jacob Pauly, first in 13:39.8; Jaxon Harberts, second in 13:48.4; Jack Bruns, third in 14:52.8 and Tyler Anderson, fourth in 16:27.4. Ben Riley was eighth in 18:41.9.
 
The cross country kids are in action again on Monday, Sept. 28 at the Prairie Ridge Golf Course against RAACHE (Rochester Area Association of Christian Home Educators) and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.