VIENNA — The Vienna Cross Country teams traveled to Belle last week for the Belle Invitational, with runners from both middle and high school showing grit, determination and plenty of speed.

The middle school boys led the way, claiming first place with a dominating total of 61 points. Lead runners Eli Messersmith and Tanner Hallahan set the pace for the team, finishing 4th and 5th respectively, with times of 11:49.35 and 12:07.66. Alex Wieberg followed in 7th at 12:39.08, while sixth grader Coen Schwartze crossed the line 11th with a time of 12:52.58, helping secure the team’s victory. Schwartze’s strong finish as one of the youngest runners in the race highlighted the depth of talent Vienna has coming up through the program.

The high school boys took the 5000-meter run seriously and followed in the footsteps of their younger teammates, taking first place with a score of 24. Hunter Schwartze finished just behind the leaders in 2nd place with a time of 17:21.03, while Bryce Ewers secured 3rd place at 18:16.64.

The girls had strong performances as well. In the middle school two-mile run, Vienna placed 4th with a total of 93 points. Emerson Jeremy, seventh grader, was the top finisher for Vienna, placing 6th at 14:17.30 and earning the distinction as the only girl from Vienna Middle School to place in the top 20. Her finish stood out as a bright spot for the middle school girls and gave teammates a goal to aim for in future meets.

The high school girls faced a challenging 5000-meter course, finishing 4th overall with 103 points. Sophia Neubert, freshman, led the way for Vienna with a 3rd-place finish at 23:19.59, demonstrating her ability to compete at a high level. Junior Kaylee Bresnahan contributed a strong 17th-place finish at 25:16.93, giving the team valuable points.

Teams competing in the middle school boys division included Vienna, Fatima, Rolla, Bland, Hermann, Bourbon, Steelville, Union, Cuba, Salem and New Haven.

Middle school girls competed against Vienna, Rolla, Bourbon, Union, Linn, Steelville and Hermann.

High school boys included Vienna, New Haven, Belle, Steelville, Linn, Chamois, West County, Salem, Cuba and Bourbon.

High school girls raced against Vienna, Belle, Linn, Steelville, Cuba, Salem, New Haven and Calvary Lutheran.

With strong finishes across both the middle and high school races, the Vienna Cross Country teams showed depth and talent at every level. From the youngest middle schoolers making key contributions to high school runners leading the pack, the program’s future looks bright.

The teams will next travel to Cuba this Wednesday for another meet, where fans can expect more spirited races, hard-earned finishes and memorable moments on the course.