North Mahaska’s boys cross country team faced a competitive field of runners at the team’s opening meet of the season in Ottumwa. The race held at Wildwood Park and sponsored by Pekin High School saw three ranked teams.
Mediapolis, the No. 5 team in Class 2A was first with 44 points followed by host Pekin with 78 points and No. 12 Danville was third with 102 points. North Mahaska placed seventh with 160. The Warhawks are ranked eighth in Class 1A.
North Mahaska girls had just three runners. The North Mahaska junior high girls placed second with 33 points to Pekin’s 23.
Brayden Veiseth paced the Nm runners placing eighth in 17 minutes 43 seconds. Ben Yang was 16th in 18:27 followed by Wynja Maddox in 20:25, Mitchell Kincaid, 20:46 and Clay Thompson, 21:36.
“I was really pleased with the way we ran last night,” said NM coach Seth Streebin. “I’m proud of the guys we have. Ally rolled her ankle coming down the hill, but the teams ran well.”
Emmerson Jedlicka led the Warhawk girls with an eighth place finish in 21:55. Breckyn Schilling ran 67th in 27:59. Aly Steil ran but dropped out due to an injury.
In the junior high meet, Jade DeBoef and Trinity McKee ran one-two in 10:13 and 10:17 respectively. Addy Jedlicka placed 10th in 11:37 and Mallory Schippers was 20th with a time of 15:56.
In the boys’ race, Cain Grandia was the lone Warhawk runner taking 25th overall in 11:17.
The teams will run at Colfax-Mingo on Sept. 7.