Bourbon Middle School and High School’s cross country season began with a pair of meets in New Haven and in Linn Sept. 5 and Sept. 12 respectively. Both meets are detailed below. Bourbon was originally scheduled to compete in the Sept. 8 Sullivan Invitational but elected not to participate.

The Warhawks will run locally in the Steelville Invitational on Sept. 17 at Steelville City Park in its next meet. Bourbon will then compete in Belle on Sept. 22 in the Belle Cross Country Meet.

Sept. 5 in New Haven

Bourbon’s high school and middle school cross country runners traveled to New Haven to compete in its first meet of the year.

Elijah Frederick, Paul Studdard, Alaina Evans and Leah Negretti were the only Warhawks competing at the varsity level and all four ran in the varsity 5k races.

Frederick was Bourbon’s top varsity performer, earning 23rd place after finishing in 21:09. Studdard ran it in 28:08 to take 61st, Evans completed it in 32:59, which was good for 62nd and Negretti finished in 34:42 to take 72nd.

Silas Henn and Joshua Gibbs each ran in the junior varsity 5k race. Henn took 17th with a 24:28 finish and Gibbs finished in 23rd after completing it in 25:47.

Eighth grader Eva Wertich was the only Warhawk at any grade level to earn a medal. Wertich took third place in the middle school girls 3200m race after crossing the finish line in 15.48. Mina Williams took 21st with a 18:15.9 time, Auria Williams earned 27th with a 19.50.3 finish and Clara Gibbs finished in 40th after completing it in 22:31.1.

Eighth grader Brody Delmont was Bourbon Middle School’s top performer in the boys 3200m, earning 27^th place after finishing in 16:05.1. Seventh grader Justin Evans took 55^th with a 20:44.1 time and sixth grader Walter Wertich earned 64^th after crossing the finish line in 24:53.6.   

Sept. 12 in Linn

The Warhawks ran the following Saturday in the 48th Annual Linn XC Invitational. Four Bourbon High School and nine middle school athletes competed in the events.

After competing in the junior varsity meet in New Haven, Gibbs ran in the varsity race and excelled in Linn. Gibbs was Bourbon’s top performer, earning 15th place with a 23:40.90 time. Frederick finished next for the Warhawks, completing the 5000 meter race in 20:05.10 to take 24th place. Studdard ran the race in 24:42.50 and finished in 79th. Alina Evans was the lone Lady Warhawk to compete in the girls 5000 meter race and crossed the finish line in 32:29.20 to take 68th place.

Wertich was once again Bourbon Middle School’s top finisher, earning 17th place in the girls 3200 meter run with a 14:44.30 time. Mina Williams earned 46th, Clara Gibbs took 48th, Auria Williams finished 53rd, Amiyah Vineyard earned 67th, Lilly Ransom finished in 88th and Hadleigh Harper took 104th round out the Lady Warhawk middle school performances. On the boys side, Perseus Kitchen finished in 103rd and Justin Evans took 108th.