Steelville’s High School and Middle School cross country teams competed over the weekend in the Oct. 10 Potosi Invitational. It was the last meet of the season for the Steelville Middle School cross country teams.

SMS’ boys team earned second place as a team and had three runners earn medals for top-20 finishes in the two mile race. All three medal winners ran personal-best times, showing their growth throughout the season.

Landon Whaley ran a 11:55.8 to earn sixth place. Peyton Martin took eighth place with a 11:58.3 time. Cordale Pryor crossed the finish line in 12:11.7 to take 14th place.

Huntley Hammonds completed the race in a personal-best 12:50.6 to earn 31st place. Braxton Perkins took 44th with a 13:29.4 time to round out SMS’ top 50 finishers.

Fourteen SMS boys ran the race, showcasing the team’s depth and interest in the sport moving forward.

Eight SMS Lady Cardinals competed in the girls two mile race and seventh-grader Sophia Oaker continued to separate herself from the pack.

Oaker was the lone medal winner from SMS, taking 14th place with a personal-best 13:58.6 time.

No other Lady Cardinal finished in the top 50, but Elaina Turnbough took 52nd, Gracyn Dicus finished in 60th, Heidi Helms earned 65th, Aubreigh Diaz took 66th, Kadence Harmon finished in 84th and Hope Mabe and Hattie Harmon took 104th and 113th, respectively.

For the SHS girls’ team, Elizabeth Warden, Wyntr Yates and Stormee Yates competed in the 5,000 meter junior varsity race. The Lady Cardinals excelled as Warden took second place with a 24:19 time and Wyntr Yates ran a 24:43.6 to finish in third place. Stormee Yates earned 21st place after crossing the finish line with a 30:31.3 time.

After missing the last couple meets while competing for SHS’ volleyball team, Adalei Perkins laced up her running shoes and was the lone Lady Cardinal running in the girls varsity 5,000 meter race. Perkins performed admirably, earning 10th place with a 21:36.3 time.

Five SHS boys competed in the varsity race and Lucas Garms ran in the junior varsity race. SHS’ top varsity boys runner, Owen Rutledge, didn’t compete in the meet.

Garms earned 10th place and a medal in the JV race with a 21:45 time. Andrew Jensen was SHS’ lone medal winner in the varsity race, earning 14th place with a 18:39.9 time.

Brantley Booker crossed the finish line in 19:15.8 to take 29th place. Kaden Rulo took 56th with a 20:59 finish, Andrew Riley earned 75th with a 22:20.9 time and Colin Orick crossed the finish line in 23:18.7 to take 79th place.

SHS’ cross country teams competed in the Oct. 13 Owensville Invitational, which will be detailed in next week’s edition. Steelville will then run in the Oct. 17 Farmington Invitational and the Oct. 19 Gasconade Valley Conference Meet in Cuba at Hood Park.