Blue Jays finish 1-2

The Blue Jay boys cross country team topped the four-team field in the high school division of the Valley City State University Cross Country Meet at Valley City Country Club on Friday.

Jamestown freshman Kyle Schumacher has emerged as the Jays’ front runner, leading the team with a second-place effort over the 4,000-meter course in a time of 14:04. It was the second time in as many meets to start the season that Schumacher has been Jamestown’s No. 1 runner.

Jamestown senior Michael Sorensen finished right behind Schumacher in third, covering the course with a time of 14:55. Sargent Central’s Alex Askerooth placed first with a time of 13:55, helping the Cadets finish second behind the Blue Jays in the team standings.

“The boys came out on top and that was nice to see,” JHS cross country coach Ken Gardner said. “The course was a little shorter. It was a 4,000-meter course instead of the 5,000 meters we ran last (Friday in Jamestown).

“We treated it as a hard workout today, and the kids went out and competed.”

Junior Aaron Ford — competing in his first meet of the season — was Jamestown’s No. 3 runner, placing sixth with a time of 15:17. The Jays’ Kyle Gee and Hunter Braunberger crossed the line eighth and ninth in times of 15:49 and 16:03, respectively.

It was also Braunberger’s first time finishing in Jamestown’s top five runners this season.

“Any given week we can have some different guys sneaking (into the top five),” Gardner said. “To come out on top of the meet, that was really good to see for those guys.”

Jamestown’s girls cross country team finished second but were running without No. 1-ranked senior Alison Allmer, who didn’t compete in the event.

“To end up second without (Allmer) was really good to see,” Gardner said. “The girls really stepped it up and finishing second is a testament to them.”

The team was paced by eighth-graders Maya Moltzen and Rachel Morin, who finished second and third in times of 12:19 and 12:30, respectively. Another JHS eighth-grader, Ligia Schulz finished sixth (13:00) over the 3,000-meter course to round out Jamestown’s top three.

“Those three eighth-graders started to come on at the end of the last year as seventh-graders, and they’ve picked up where they left off,” Gardner said. “Throw Alison back into that mix and hopefully we’ll be pretty successful with that crew again.”

Jamestown seventh-grader Emma Bennett finished 11th (14:08), while senior Anna Larson finished 12th (14:12).

“(Bennett) ran JV last week and she knew we needed five runners to get a full score,” Gardner said. “She was willing to step up and run with the varsity in her second ever cross country meet.”

Jamestown will next be competing at a meet hosted by Dickinson High School next Saturday.

“They’ve designed a new course, and that’s where the state meet is being held, so we’ll get a preview of that course,” Gardner said.

Valley City State University Cross Country Meet

Valley City Country Club

Friday

Boys

Team results

1, Jamestown 28; 2, Sargent Central 58; 3, Central Prairie 62; Valley City 69.

Individual results

1, Alex Askerooth, SC, 13:55; 2, Kyle Schumacher, JHS, 14:04; 3, Michael Sorensen, JHS, 14:55; 4, Casey Engelhard, VC, 15:01; 5, Donavan Moser, CP, 15:02; 6, Aaron Ford, JHs, 15:17; 7, Ceph Dockter, CP, 15:33; 8, Kyle Gee, JHS, 15:49; 9, Hunter Braunberger, JHS, 16:03.

Other JHS results

14, Alex Igl, 16:54.

Girls

Team results

1, Valley City 27; 2, Jamestown 34; 3, Central Prairie 84; 4, Sargent Central 87.

Individual results

1, April Berntson, VC, 12:04; 2, Maya Moltzen, JHS, 12:19; 3, Rachel Morin, JHS, 12:30; 4, Mikayla Ross, VC, 12:36; 5, Barbara Zubrod, VC, 12:48; 6, Ligia Schulz, JHS, 13:00; 7, Megan Roth, SC, 13:01; 8, Jamie Ronning, VC, 13:11; 9, Jessica Ronning, VC, 13:22; 10, Ashley Wolff, CP, 14:04.

Other JHS results

11, Emma Bennett, 14:08; 12, Anna Larson, 14:12.

Sun sports writer Michael Savaloja can be reached at (701) 952-8461 or by email at mikes@jamestownsun.com

Tags: sports, jays, track