PHOTO OF THE DAY: GPC CHAMPIONS
The Freeman Academy/Marion boys cross-country team stands together after winning the Great Plains Conference title in Burke last week. Picture are, from left: A.J. Miller, Kolter Schmidt, Finley McConniel, Hayden Schmidt, Caden Tieszen and Armando Miller.
Freeman Academy/Marion finished first among Great Plains Conference teams taking part, and the FAM girls placed second in the conference standings at the Cougar/CPC Invitational hosted by Burke last week Thursday, Oct. 3.
The boys were paced by Finley McConniel’s runner-up finish; the Marion senior finished in 16:53.39, second only to Mitchell Christian’s Silas Holdeman’s 16:38.92.
Marion senior Hayden Schmidt placed ninth in 18:52.02 and the Bearcats’ push came from Marion freshman Kolter Schmidt, who clocked a 19:23.29.
Also representing the FAM boys in the 49-runner field were freshman AJ Miller (22nd, 19:27.22), junior Armando Miller (38th, 21:26.76) and senior Caden Tieszen (40th, 21:32.21).
Leading the way for the FAM girls were junior Estelle Waltner and senior Sieta Wiersema, both of Freeman Academy. Waltner finished ninth among the 44 runners in 22:02.76 while Wiersema was 13th in 22:25.71. The Bearcats’ third runner was seventh grader Faith Pekron, who placed 31st in 24:16.93.
The overall effort put the FAM boys second in the overall standings and the FAM girls third.
