Bluejays Find Success at Mid-State Conference Meet
By Kendall Shada
On Thursday, October 9, the Pierce High cross country team headed over to O’Neill for the second time this season to compete in the 2025 Mid-State conference meet.
To start off, the girls team finished in seventh place with a score of 126 points.
The first Bluejay to cross the finish line was Essynce Owens-Webb, placing 18th with an ending time, also a personal best, of 22:47.70. Behind Webb was Isabelle Kuehler, who ran a season best of 24:40.30, ending up in 35th place. After Kuehler was Lainey Jensen, who ran 27:35.90, finishing in 39th place. Next was Bailee Thelen, who finished in 42nd place, with a season best of 28:54.10.
“I’d say the meet was mentally tough considering it was conference, and I hadn’t ran on that course yet. I wasn’t fully prepared mentally like I should have been but overall the competition was good. My expectations for districts are hopeful considering we are running on our home course, and I’m excited to see what the team is able to accomplish.” Thelen, a junior on the team, states.
On the boys side of things, the Bluejay boys ended up conference runner-up with a score of 38 points, just barely losing to Norfolk Catholic, who scored 33 points. With this performance, this was the closest that the undefeated Knights have been to losing any meet this year.
Individually, Brenden Bolling was the conference champion, ending with a time of 16:45.30. Not too far behind Bolling was Kendall Shada, finishing in seventh place, running a time of 17:30.20. Just behind Shada was Kyle Abler with an ending time of 17:33.20, finishing in eighth place. Blaine Anson finished with a time of 19:00.90, ending up in 25th place. Behind Anson was Carl Vogt, running a personal best of 19:29.70, placing in 32nd place. Maxwell Weber ran a 21:20.60, finishing in 42nd place.
“I think the team performed well, but we all know we’re capable of more. Going into Wednesday, the expectation is clear — qualify individually and bring home the district title as a team,” Abler, a senior on the team, says.
The Bluejay cross country team gets an opportunity to compete for a spot at state, as they will be running on Wednesday, October 15, at districts which will be held in Pierce at the Pierce Community Golf Course.
