Steelville’s High School and Middle School cross country teams hosted the Steelville Invitational Sept. 17 in its second meet of the season. The meet was pushed back an hour due to high temperatures in the area.

Steelville High School’s varsity athletes earned five medals combined between its boys and girls races for top-20 performances.

Sophomore Adalei Perkins earned third place in the girls varsity race, the highest placement of any Cardinal after crossing the finish line in 23:10.2. Salem’s Zoey Elliot won first place with a 21:39.6 time.

Fellow sophomore Elizabeth Warden earned 11th place with a 24:18.2 time, freshman Wyntr Yates crossed the finish line in 26:16.2 to earn 24th place and sophomore Stormee Yates took 47th with a 33:24.6 time. The young quartet of Lady Cardinals appear to have a bright future ahead with many races coming up this season and the next couple of years.

Senior Owen Rutledge was Steelville’s top male varsity performer, earning ninth place with a 18:49.4 finish. Freshman Andrew Jensen earned his first career top-10 finish, completing the race in 19:00.7 to come in right behind Rutledge. Fellow freshman Brantley Booker was Steelville’s last medal winner, taking 20th place after crossing the finish line in 19:49.7. Sophomores Kaden Rulo, Lucas Garms and Andy Riley were the Cardinals next finishers, earning 30th, 32nd and 50th with 21:36.5, 21:58.3 and 24:34.1 times, respectively. Junior Colin Orick finished right behind Riley, earning 51st with a 24:35.5 time.

Steelville Middle School’s girls cross country team also had a pair of medal winners. Seventh graders Sophia Oaker and Heidi Helms earned 15th and 19th place, after crossing the finish line in 12:15.2 and 12:27.1, respectively.

SMS’s boys cross country team saw four of its runners earn medals, including a pair finishing in the top four. Seventh grader Whaley Landon took third place with a 9:53.7 finish. Eighth grader Peyton Martin was right behind Landon, earning fourth place with a 9:58.3 time. Seventh grader Cordale Pryor took eighth place after completing it in 10:31 and fellow seventh grader Travis Harmon finished in 14th place with a 10:45.6 time.

Steelville’s cross country teams competed next in Belle Sept. 22, which will be detailed in next week’s edition. The Cardinals’ varsity teams will compete in Columbia Sept. 26 at the Gans Creek Classic and will run locally Sept. 29 in St. James.