Ipswich Cross Country runners open season in Pierre

Ipswich attended a season-opening cross country invite in Pierre last Friday.

At least one IHS runner was entered into each of the seven events. For instance, there were two Tiger girls in the 4000-meter varsity run, won by Jessica Lutmer of Pierre Riggs in 16:09.75. There were 21 total runners there, including Ipswich's Ashley Ptacek, tenth in 18:19.64 and Emily DeRaad 14th in 18:45.26.

That same distance junior varsity run, consisting of 30 runners, saw Ashlinn Hartwell placing second only to Evelyn Trefz of Aberdeen Central 18:01.70 to 18:15.38. Sommer DeRaad also competed in that event and she got 14th in 19:47.02. So did Makala DeRaad, 27th in 23:33.71.

There was also a girls' 3K middle-school event with 37 runners (it was won by a Pierre girl Mason Berg in 12:50.74). Ipswich's Reagan Bowers was sixth there at 13:40.50. Sienna Kessler placed eighth in 13:46.65, followed by Gracyn Kadlec ninth in 13:58.49, Madisyn Gellhaus 13th in 14:06.17, Gabrielle Wald 16th in 14:43.48, Ava Davis 21st in 15:04.19 and Natalie Crissman 29th at 16:55.91.

The girls' middle-school 1700-meter run with 34 competitors included Katelyn Tufte, sixth in 8:11.56, Anna Nierman, eighth in 8:25.60, Bella Unser 28th in 10:29.03 and Kearstin Pietz 29th in 10:32.43. Aberdeen Central's Morgan VanVeen captured that event in 7:24.11.

Now for the Ipswich boys' 4K varsity run, where there were 30 participants, Ipswich's Taylor Thorson placed 18th in 15:21.27. It was won by Daniel Street of Aberdeen Central in 13:18.44. The boys' JV course also covered a distance of 4K, won by Pierre's Mason Dell in 15:24.79. Evan Onken toured it in tenth place at 16:32.95. Xavier Kadlec wasn't very far off that pace in 12th at 16:43.29, followed by Turner Thorson 14th in 16:54.44 and Dylan Wald 24th in 17:42.65.

There was also a boys' 1700-meter middle-school run with 21 runners, won by Pierre's Noah Horsley in 7:20.65. Clayton Horst was fifth in 7:41.90, Tyler Gellhaus sixth in 7:52.41 and Jon Kintz 14th in 8:40.76.

Ipswich's next taste of competition will be a Redfield meet on September 3.