Bulldog cross country runs at Clayton Ridge, NFV invites
Tucker Ruff was one of three Bulldog boys who finished in the top 15 on Sept. 7. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Evelyn Ruff was MFL MarMac’s top varsity girls finisher at the Clayton Ridge Invitational, placing 30th with a time of 26:49.7.
Kaylee Walch (left) and Ruby Koeller run at the Sept. 7 Clayton Ridge Invitational.
Bobby Kober placed 12th at Clayton Ridge, the highest finish for the Bulldogs.
Tricia Bacon heads for the finish line at the Sept. 7 meet.
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac cross country team raced in meets at Clayton Ridge and North Fayette Valley last week, with most runners improving their times from one event to the next.
At the Clayton Ridge Invitational on Sept. 7, the Bulldog boys placed fourth of six full teams, anchored by top-15 finishes from Bobby Kober, Tucker Ruff and Will Koether. Kober, a junior competing in his first cross country season, placed 12th with a time of 20:40.1. Ruff, a freshman, was right behind him in 13th place, turning in a finish of 20:43.8. Another junior, Koether, completed the race in 20:52.9 to place 15th.
Other Bulldog runners included seniors Caleb Nordheim, who placed 27th at 22:18.9, and Hunter Kugel, who ran a 29:12.1 for 60th place. Freshman Logan Ross was 63rd at 34:12.4, and seniors Dusty Berns and Reilly Franzen were 64th and 65th, respectively, with times of 34:15.4 and 35:10.0.
On the girls side, freshman Evelyn Ruff turned in the best result for MFL MarMac, placing 30th with a time of 26:49.7. Sophomore Kaylee Walch completed the course in 27:43.5, which was good for 41st, and freshman Tricia Bacon came in 56th at 29:15.6. Sophomore teammate Ruby Koeller was right behind her in 57th place, finishing in 29:18.7, while junior Alexis Ross was 61st at 30:36.6. With a time of 31:39.5, sophomore Kaylee Nuehring placed 70th, and junior Cadence Weber was 77th at 37:17.7. The Bulldogs placed sixth as a team.
At NFV’s Bob Scott Memorial Invitational on Sept. 9, Nordheim shined for the Bulldogs, turning in a 26th-place finish with a time of 19:56.44—over two minutes faster than the earlier meet. Koether and Ruff were 34th and 35th, respectively, with times of 20:20.36 and 20:22.30. Kober’s time of 22:03.79 put him 52nd, and Kugel was 77th at 27:50.09. Ross came in 80th at 29:55.14, Franzen 82nd at 30:23.16 and Berns 85th at 32:21.67. The Bulldogs were seventh of eight teams.
The MFL MarMac girls finished their race fifth out of six full teams. Senior Abby Schellhorn continued to impress in her first cross country season, running to 10th place with a time of 23:37.43. Sophomore Clare Grau turned in a 24:02.20, which was good for 13th. Ruff claimed the 32nd spot with a time of 26:34.57, while sophomore Ayla Gerndt was 33rd at 26:35.01 and Walch was 35th at 26:49.73. Koeller’s 28:12.30 put her 48th, while Nuehring was 67th at 30:47.54 and Weber was 70th at 31:19.59.
The boys and girls will now compete in two meets this week, running at Starmont on Tuesday, Sept. 14, then at Central on Thursday, Sept. 16.
