Women's XC Team Shines at Norsemen Invitational

Ballard Scores 58 Team Points

September 27, 2024

The Ballard Women's Cross Country team delivered an impressive performance at the Norsemen Invitational, showcasing their talent and determination against a competitive field. The meet featured several strong teams, but the Bombers stood out with their excellent finishes.

Senior Annika Larson led the Bombers with a stellar time of 19:09.07, securing first place overall. Larson's performance not only earned her the top spot but also demonstrated her continued dominance on the course as she aims for another successful season.

Following Larson was Brynn Wilson, who finished strong in eighth place with a time of 20:51.64. Wilson's consistent efforts have made her a reliable performer for the team throughout the season.

The Bombers also saw notable finishes from Kya Hermann (15th, 21:38.54), Raya Miller (16th, 21:43.76), and Ava Richardson (18th, 21:59.30), contributing to the team's overall performance. Their collective efforts highlighted the depth of the team and showcased their potential as they move deeper into the season.

In the overall team standings, Ballard finished just behind North Polk (#13 in 3A) with a score of 58, placing them in second overall. North Polk took first with 57 points. The Bombers' performance reaffirmed their position as one of the top teams in Class 3A, currently ranked #16.

Grace Grundmeyer finished in 42nd place with a time of 23:40.08, while Raegan Loewe rounded out the team in 47th with a time of 23:58.67. Their contributions were essential in solidifying Ballard's standing against formidable opponents like Madrid (#2 in 1A) and Clear Lake (#17 in 3A).

The Bombers will look to build on this momentum as they prepare for their next meet at the Perry Invitational on October 3 at 4:15 PM.

Comments From Head Coach Scott Barth:

"It was a beautiful night on a flat and fast course tonight in Story City. The competition was good with 5 ranked girls teams and 4 ranked boys teams in the mix. This resulted into some fast times and lots of season and quite a few career PRS.

Annika Larson ran the race of the night taking the individual title with a career PR of 19:09. She ran a steady and patient race to overcome the North Polk runner who had bested her through the first part of the season. Brynn Wilson ran her typical steady race in placing 8th in a time of 20:51. Kya Hermann ran a very good race in leading a tight pack of 3 Ballard runners placing 15th in a time of 21: 38 which is her season best. Raya Miller placed 16th with a time of 21:43 and Ava Richardson is making a comeback from illness to round out our scoring with a 19th place finish in a time of 21:59. Grace Grundmeyer and Raegan Loewe finished out our varsity line-up with times of 23:40 and 23:58.

Overall I am pretty pleased with our performance. Having Annika running well and setting that career PR was well earned on her part and she can be counted on getting us off to a great start along with Brynn. Kya had her season's best race and Raya was close to that accomplishment as well. Those 4 are healthy and running well. Ava R and Grace were not at 100% tonight and we did not run promising freshman Nora Showman tonight. SHe had earned her first varsity spot, but we wanted to rest her to nurse a minor injury. Get those 3 back and healthy and we should be quite a bit better by season's end."

NORSEMEN INVITATIONAL WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES

1. North Polk, 57

2. Ballard, 58

3. Madrid, 74

4. Clear Lake, 93

5. Roland-Story, 111

6. Nevada, 184

7. South Hamilton, 212

8. SE Valley, 286

Saydel, South Hamilton, Woodward Academy - No Team Scores

NORSEMEN INVITATIONAL WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL TIMES

1 Annika Larson, 19:09.07