Blair and Fort Calhoun runners opened cross-country season Tuesday at Rhylander Park in Plattsmouth.
Senior Nadia Davey said the Bears were nervous, herself included.
“But, in the end, we all ran really good,” she explained.
Coach Carson Norine's BHS girls earned Washington County's top team finish at the Blue Devils' invite, securing second while the FCHS boys earned fourth. Coach Kyle McMahon's Pioneers were fifth in the girls' standings, too, while the Blair boys claimed sixth.
Waters leads Calhoun boys
Seth Waters and Chris Post-Whiteowl led Fort Calhoun's efforts in Plattsmouth with top-10 finishes.
Waters crossed the finish line first, stopping the clock in 17:56.04 for seventh.
“A little bit tired,” he said when asked how he felt after the 5-kilometer race.
Waters was pleased with the individual result, though, noting how he earned it “just with consistent running.” The approach encompasses his run down the final straightaway, which he described as the toughest part of his race around the Rhylander Park course.
“It took a lot,” the Pioneer said.
Post-Whiteowl wasn't far behind Waters, clocking in at 17:57.86 for ninth. FCHS' Merritt Olberding was next in 11th before teammates Will Dennis (21st), Travis Skelton (32nd) and Sean Waters (37th) also finished their runs.
Declan McCabe, meanwhile, led Blair during the season-opening 5K. He was 17th in 18:42.45, while Tannon Bellamy earned 28th in 19:30.81.
The Bears' Roland Barondeau added a 33rd-place finish, while Lane Christensen took 39th and Jake Baker was 49th. Hayden Olsen added a 54th-place showing, too.
Bears take 2nd
Davey led the BHS girls to their second-place finish in Plattsmouth, securing seventh individually with a time of 22:17.11. Her teammate, Kate Wulf, a first-year cross-country runner, took eighth overall in just 22:24.73, too.
“I knew Kate could do it. It's all in the mentality,” Davey said. “I know she's new, but, the more she works on it, she's going to be as fast or faster than me. It's going to be amazing.”
Ryleigh Schroeter added an 11th-place finish for the Bears in 22:36.98, while Ryen Anderson was 14th in 22:48.6 and Emma Himes finished 20th in 23:38.52.
Blair's Jade Wickwire served as the lead-Bear during portions of Tuesday's race, but she did not finish, having to pull out of it with a potential injury.
Altogether, though, BHS had a strong outing in its first race, Davey said.
“We did so good,” she explained. “I'm so proud of everybody that ran today.”
Fort Calhoun's top runner in the girls' race, meanwhile, was Raeann Massey. The sophomore took 13th in 22:45.22, while Lauren Lammers followed her in 23:43.79 for 22nd. Emily Barta (25th), Sidney Mattison (28th), Anna McMahon (35th) and Annaleigh McLaughlin (39th) filled out the rest of the Pioneers' opening day lineup, too.
Middle school runners compete
Seventh- and eighth-grade runners from Blair and Fort Calhoun also opened their seasons Tuesday in Plattsmouth.
The Fort Calhoun boys earned second, while the Otte Blair Middle School team — which is an official Blair Community Schools-backed activity starting this fall — took fifth. Nolan Lake led the Pioneers with a second-place finish, while Mavrick Donahoe was 10th and Paxtyn Wagner earned 11th.
Nate Preister, meanwhile, led the Bears in 17th.
On the girls' side, Otte Blair Middle School's Adalee Field took third to lead her squad to third overall. Sophie Lyon was ninth, too, while 14th-place Chloe Buckner led all Fort Calhoun runners during the team's fifth-place showing.
PLATTSMOUTH INVITE
BOYS
Team standings: Elkhorn Mount Michael 27, South Sioux City 33, Plattsmouth 44, Fort Calhoun 48, MVAOCOU 111, Blair 117, Omaha Bryan 146, Auburn 170, Sidney 172, Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln 179, Omaha Gross 182, Falls City 216.
5K race winner: Mesach Nkurubujango, Mount Michael, 17:17.69.
Blair results: 17, Declan McCabe, 18:42.45. 28, Tannon Bellamy, 19:30.81. 33, Roland Barondeau, 19:53.33. 39, Lane Christensen, 20:28.86. 49, Jake Baker, 21:47.27. 54, Hayden Olsen, 22:25.51.
Fort Calhoun results: 7, Seth Waters, 17:56.04. 9, Chris Post-Whiteowl, 17:57.86. 11, Merritt Olberding, 18:15.13. 21, Will Dennis, 18:53.64. 32, Travis Skelton, 19:47.35. 37, Sean Waters, 20:20.41.
Top-10 junior varsity runners: 3, Brayden Bessey, FC, 19:10.77. 5, Matthew Kelly, FC, 19:13.93. 10, Maddox Nelson, FC, 19:59.36.
GIRLS
Team standings: Auburn 33, Blair 36, Omaha Duchesne 51, Plattsmouth 65, Fort Calhoun 84, South Sioux City 85, Falls City 109, Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln 131, Omaha Bryan 174, MVAOCOU 175.
5K race winner: Amalia Doty, Omaha Gross, 20:34.9.
Blair results: 7, Nadia Davey, 22:17.11. 8, Kate Wulf, 22:24.73. 11, Ryleigh Schroeter, 22:36.98. 14, Ryen Anderson, 22:48.6. 20, Emma Himes, 23:38.52.
Fort Calhoun results: 13, Reann Massey, 22:45.54. 22, Lauren Lammers, 23:43.79. 25, Emily Barta, 24:34.84. 28, Sidney Mattison, 25:05.8. 35, Anna McMahon, 25:49.34. 39, Annaleigh McLaughlin, 26:05.23.
Top-10 junior varsity runners: 3, Emma Ochoa Gomez, FC, 23:57.58.
