VIENNA — The Vienna Autumn Classic Invitational brought teams from across the region to Ballpark Road this week, where the Eagles ran with pride on their home course. The winds were high, the air crisp and the Vienna runners made sure the crowd had something to cheer for.

For the boys, Vienna dominated the 5,000-meter run, earning first place in the team standings. Junior Hunter Schwartze led the way, clocking an 18:50.38 to finish well ahead of his teammates and the rest of the field. Though he crossed the finish line first, Schwartze wasn’t completely satisfied with his run.

“My personal best is 17:50,” he said after the race, shaking his head. “I was off today, and the wind didn’t help.”

Even with the tough conditions, Schwartze finished more than a full minute ahead of sophomore Bryce Ewers, who took second at the meet with a time of 19:56.78. Freshman Paxten Jeremy followed close behind at 20:52.33, rounding out Vienna’s top three runners, all placing top three in the meet as a whole.

Ethan Herigon and Dreygen Messersmith, both freshmen, showed steady improvement in the junior varsity division, finishing at 23:40.91 and 24:33.60. Messersmith, younger brother of middle school standout Eli Messersmith, continues to build on the strong family legacy in Vienna’s cross country program.

On the girls’ side, the Lady Eagles placed second as a team behind Linn, but freshman sensation Sophia Neubert turned heads with her individual performance. Neubert crossed the finish line at 23:44.10, nearly two and a half minutes before the next runner, Linn’s Kylie Messanger, who finished at 25:54.61.

Neubert’s pace never wavered, her stride steady as she widened the gap with every lap. For the crowd lining the course, her finish felt less like a race and more like a statement that Vienna’s future in girls cross country, like all-state, is in good hands.

Head Coach Dave Martin said he was proud of the way his runners handled the conditions and the competition.

Other runners in the competition from Vienna included Thomas Douglas, Kevin Russel, Tyler Hallahan, Gage Curler, Ethan Rex, Kaylee Bresnahan, Kaitlyn Carpenter, Lilly Powell and Karlie Heddy.

Along with Calvary Lutheran, Chamois, Linn, Tipton and Vienna, The Missouri School for the Deaf attended the meet. Coached by Denna Wolfe, the team looked good out there with their runners James Ignacio, Jesse Cancinos and Daniel Maqueda.

The home meet carried extra pride for the team, hosted right in Vienna at the city park on Ballpark Road. With familiar trails, hometown support and bright fall colors lining the course, the Eagles delivered one of their strongest outings of the season, coming off of a win at the Show-Me-Conference Cross Country meet on Oct.7 just a week prior.