Bourbon High School and Middle School country teams competed Sept. 22 in the Belle Cross Country Invitational. After running in the sweltering heat at the Steelville Invitational Sept. 17, the Warhawks competed in cooler conditions in Belle.

BHS freshman Elijah Frederick was the Warhawk’s lone medal winner at the varsity level, where top-20 performers were awarded hardware. Frederick earned 15th place after crossing the finish line in 19:40. Fellow freshman Joshua Gibbs ran a 22:42 to finish in 47th. Junior Paul Studdard took 52nd with a 23:25 time and freshman Silas Henn completed the race in 23:57 to earn 56th.

Junior Reese Bell and freshman Alaina Evans were the only Lady Warhawks competing in the girls’ varsity race. Bell ran a 26:34 to take 25th place and Evans completed the race in 29:38 to finish in 34th place.

The BMS girls team had a pair of medal worthy performances. Eighth grader Eva Wertich continued to finish in the top-10, earning ninth place with a 14:38 time. Fellow eighth grader Mina Williams ran a 15:01 to finish in 12th place and earn a medal.

Eighth grader Auria Williams took 30th place after crossing the finish line in 16:31, sixth grader Clara Gibbs earned 42nd place with a 17:02 time, seventh grader Lily Ransom finished in 47th with a 17:15 time and seventh grader Hadleigh Harper ran a 19:48 to earn 63rd place.

Seventh graders Perseus Kitchen and Justin Evans and sixth graders Walter Wertich competed in the middle school boys race for BMS. Kitchen took 82nd with a 16:46 time, Evans finished 86th with a 17:32 time and Wertich ran the race in 21:12 to finish in 106th place.

The Warhawks will cruise down Interstate 44 to compete in the Sept. 29 St. James Invitational in its next meet.