The Cuba High School and middle cross country teams competed on Sept. 24 in the Belle Invitational. The Lady Wildcat’s varsity girls team put on a strong performance in the 5,000-meter race, as three runners earned medals by finishing in the top 20.

Ella Basham led the Lady Wildcats with a 24:27.70 time and took 10th place. Patricia Hardcastle took 12th with a 24:50.72 time and Cadynce Basham finished 20th with a 26:23.98 time.

Bourbon had just one runner compete in the girls varsity race as Jennie Paz Martinez took 35th.

In the boys varsity 5,000-meter race, Wyatt Littrell led the Wildcats with a 22:02.91 time and took 29th. Zaylen Kammer, Gavin Hepperman and Jackson Herwig took 39th, 40th and 41th, respectively.

The Warhawks had three runners compete in the boys varsity race, led by Drawe Froning, who took 37th with a personal record 23:12.72 time.

In the two-mile middle school race, the Wildcats’ girls team had one runner compete, according to Big River Race Management. Lillian Yates took 50th out of 65 runners.

Bourbon Middle School had seven runners compete, and two runners medaled. Eva Wertich finished ninth with a 14:41.07 time and Mina Williams took 11th with a 14:41.07 time.

The Wildcat’s boys middle school team had six runners compete in the two-mile race, and were led by Tristin Cross, who finished in 27th out of 100 runners with a 13:29.67 time. Ryan Ray was close behind Cross and finished in 31st with a 13:57.49 time. Gage Baker took 40th, Matthew Herwig finished 57th, Ayden Mabe took 65th, and Cole Elsey took 75th to round out the Wildcats’ day in Belle.

The Warhawks had seven runners compete in the boys' middle school race and received two medalist performances. Elijah Fredrick took tenth with a 12:52.25 time, and Brody Delmont finished 19th with a 13:04.72 time.

The Wildcats and Warhawks then traveled to Columbia on Sept. 27 to compete in the Gans Creek Classic.

Bourbon varsity boys runner Brett Payne finished the 5k race in 34th out of 193 runners with an 18:18 time.

Cuba High School didn’t have any runners from the varsity boys compete, according to the Prime Time Timing results page.

Lady Wildcat varsity runners Ella and Cadynce Basham finished in 95th and 136, respectively, out of 205 competing in the 5k race.

The Lady Warhawks didn’t have any runners from the varsity girls compete, according to the PTT timing results page.

Cuba had six runners compete in the junior varsity 5K race. The Wildcats finished in 19th out of 22 teams but received solid performances from Wyatt Littrell, Zaylen Kammer and Jackson Herwig, who took 54th, 122nd, and 130th, respectively, out of 228 runners.

The Cuba High School cross country team will host the Cuba Invitational on Oct. 1 at Hood Park where Bourbon and 10 plus other schools are expected to compete.