After competing at the Linn Invitational back on Saturday, Sept. 12, Samantha Ridenhour’s Bland Middle School (BMS) and Belle High School (BHS) cross country runners competed in two meets within a three-day span.

Running in Steelville last Thursday, Bear and Tiger harriers also competed Saturday at the Fulton Invitational Cross Country meet in which two runners left Hornet country with medals.

Tiger freshman Jackson Prater continued his strong start with a fifth-place time of 17:47.88 helping BHS place seventh as a team with 176 points behind Hannibal (76), Kirksville (90), Centralia (109), Mexico (123), Fulton (141) and Blair Oaks (150).

Also helping Belle place seventh as a team were Michael Felton (27th, 19:43.74), Coltin Hazelwood (45th, 20:59.46), Malachi Fredendall (53rd, 21:25.91), Ryker Huebner (60th, 21:44.34) and David Skaggs (75th, 23:01.37).

Belle’s Lady Tigers also placed seventh with 146 points behind Kirksville (41), St. Charles (50), Hannibal (85), Paris (109), Fulton (116) and Centralia (125).

Ellanor Kent led the Lady Tigers with a 17th-place time of 24:46.20 which was also good for a medal.

Fellow Lady Tigers finishing behind Kent were Skylar Stevens (36th, 26:48.11), Marianne Francis (45th, 28:17.93), Saylor Kent (32:05.94), Allania Moore (65th, 32:10.22), Kenadie Bailey (67th, 33:22.21) and Sedora Carroll (70th, 35:34.81).

Miles Frey (18th, 23:54.48) and Alden Zabel (21st, 24:07.69) also ran for Belle in the junior varsity (JV) boys race.

Bland’s Lady Bears placed 11th in the team standings with 281 points behind Troy South (50), Our Lady of Lourdes (93), Lewis & Clark (95), Christian Fellowship (158), North Point (160), Moberly (162), Wright City (197), Blair Oaks (205), Fulton (235) and Bowling Green (239).

Roxy DeDual led the Lady Bears with a 44th-place time of 16:49.95 followed by Chesley Frey (66th, 17:44.70), Cora Langston (78th, 18:18.84), Gracelyn Jarvis (82nd, 18:22.45) and Harper Ridenhour (88th, 18:37.78).

Treyton Huebner (95th, 15:42.04), Liam Lewis (109th, 16:23.84), Grayson Tyler (173rd, 21:20.17) and Deacon Stockton (174th, 21:29.77) ran for Bland’s Bears in the middle school boys race.

Last Thursday in Steelville, Belle’s varsity Tigers had four runners earn medals for finishing in the top 20.

They included Prater (6th, 17:50.8), Felton (13th, 19:26.1), Fredendall (15th, 19:41.6) and Hazelwood (19th, 19:48.7).

Ryker Huebner (33rd, 22:15.5), Skaggs (38th, 22:59.5) and Tharon Kent (43rd, 23:56.0) also ran for the varsity Tigers at Steelville.

Behind the four medalists, Belle placed third as a team with 75 points behind St. James (58) and Vienna (70).

Also earning medals in Steelville was the Belle JV boys trio of Frey (5th, 22:08.5), Zabel (6th, 22:27.2) and Braxton Ahart (7th, 23:33.2).

Belle’s varsity girls also took third place as a team with 84 points behind Pacific (27) and Washington (38).

Lady Tigers competing in Steelville included Ellanor Kent (23rd, 25:43.2), Stevens (30th, 27:57.5), Francis (38th, 29:58.2), Moore (41st, 31:58.0), Bailey (46th, 33:15.5), Carroll (49th, 34:45.4) and Saylor Kent (51st, 37:08.7).

Hosting their home meet last night (Tuesday), Bland and Belle will return to action on Tuesday, Sept. 29 in St. James.