Seniors’ final race at home

It was a warm afternoon Tuesday in Creston as storms just missed the Panther Invitational held at Southwestern Community College.

The Panthers honored three seniors runners, Karter Clayton, Spencer Brown and Payton Davis, and senior manager Savanna Davis, for senior night.

The Panther girls placed third as a team in the field of seven; the boys took seventh out of 11.

Girls

Freshman Cora Smith led the Panthers with a fifth-place finish in 21:21.6, the fastest time a Panther girl has ran on the course in four years.

Reese Strunk, a sophomore, finished a minute behind Smith, placing 12th in 22:23.1, a time nearly a minute faster than last season.

Despite coming back from injury only a few meets ago, Davis knocked two seconds off her time from last season, running 22:34.8 to place 13th.

Also with her fastest course time was Clayton, running a 25:01 to take 26th place.

Junior Maylee Riley came in with 10 runners finishing between 25:00 and 25:30, rounding out Panther scoring with a 34th-place finish in 25:15.4.

Freshman Karlie Kruse earned the Panther six-spot with a 25:38.4 in 40th place while junior Abby Freeman completed the varsity lineup with her mark of 26:46.2 for 45th.

Freeman’s time was nearly two minutes faster than her previous-best course time.

Boys

None of the Panther boys have raced at home prior to this meet as the boys race was canceled last year due to severe weather.

Sophomore Wyatt Goodenberger blazed on the home course, running 18:45.7 -— a new personal record and only his second time sub-19. He finished 17th overall.

Hector Suazo came in next for the boys, narrowly edging out Max Pollock from Wayne. Suazo finished in 20:44.2 for 38th place.

Junior Kylen Parsons finished in 52nd place, running a 21:40.7.

In the fourth spot was freshman Austin Jondle, running 21:29.1 for 47th. Freshman Colt Key was fifth, finishing in 65th place with a time of 22:58.5.

Brown ran a 25:06.9, finishing 82nd. The team was rounded out by sophomore Johnathon Henry who finished in 101st place, running 31:05.9.

Area teams

Runners from East Union, Southwest Valley, Lenox, Mount Ayr, Nodaway Valley and Diagonal all competed on the challenging course.

East Union’s Khole Parker ran a 29:26.4 to place 56th. The boys were led by Brock Driskell who finished 66th in 23:00.1.

Southwest Valley finished 11th; Matthew Means leading the team in 21:05.8, placing 43rd.

The Mount Ayr girls were led by Ashlyn Byer and Kacie Larsen who finished in 36th (25:19.4) and 37th (25:21.6,) respectively. Leading the boys was Braylon Greenwell who finished 41st in 20:55.5.

Greenly Ramsey ran a 27:03.1 to finish in 47th place, leading Lenox girls. Anthony Villanueva ran a 27:47.7 for the boys.

Owen Whittington, a Diagonal junior, finished in 27th place, running 19:38.

The Nodaway Valley boys placed sixth led by freshman Gabe Winkelmann who ran 18:00.1, finishing ninth. The girls were led by freshman Kaylee Van Horn who ran 25:17.1, finishing 35th.