by Dylan Sanders

The PCM cross country team competed on a scorching day in Lynnville-Sully as they traveled to the Diamond Trail Golf Course in Lynnville to run their fifth meet of the season on Sep. 14. Lynnville-Sully is a place that is known for having a difficult course, but that didn’t stop the Mustangs from giving it their all. Pekin won both the girls’ meet and the boys’ meet. This is a young team for the Mustangs with many of their runners being new to sport, so this meet was a great test for them. The boys placed seventh out of 12 total teams, and the girls placed third out of 12 total teams.    

Sophomore Jason Stafford led the boys for the Mustangs with an eleventh place finish and a time of 19:19.

Stafford said, “I think that the course did have a play on our times. Not only is Sully one of the hilliest courses that we will run this year, but it was also 90 degrees outside.”  Freshman Beau Webb wasn’t far behind Stafford, placing 22nd with a time of 20:01. Senior Brady North was the next Mustang runner to cross the finish line, placing 51st with a time of 21:56. Sophomores Jacob Cox and Cody Courtney finished 54th and 57th with times of 22:27 and 22:35, respectively. The boys had a total of 18 runners, and they helped the Mustangs score 180 points to finish in seventh place.

The girls may not have had as much success as they did at the Pleasantville meet, but they still gave their best effort and placed in the top three, yet again. Junior Kirstin Ives led the Lady ‘Stangs with a tenth place finish and a time of 22:49. Senior Baylee Smith and sophomore Klaire Jungling were the next runners to cross the finish line placing seventeenth and eighteenth with times of 23:49 and 23:50, respectively. Juniors Megan Townley and Paytan Schut placed 26th and 42nd with times of 24:51 and 26:34, respectively.

The Mustang cross country runners have shown great improvement throughout the year, already. The Mustangs next meet is this tonight, Sept. 21, at home, starting at 4:30 p.m. The meet is also senior night for Mustangs, so come out and support your seniors.