A pair of top 50 finishers in last year’s Class 1A state race highlight the returners for the Winfield Mount Union Wolves cross country team.

Senior Johnathon Quinn and junior Gavin Bencze each ran the 3.1 mile course at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge in under 18 minutes. Bencze finished the race in 17:25.4, the 22nd best time in the state, while Quinn’s time of 17:58.4 was the 50th best finish in Class 1A.

The pair also had a notable track season for the Wolves. Bencze medaled at the state meet in the Class 2A 3200 meter run, crossing the finish line in seventh place with a time of 10:13.66. Quinn finished just outside the podium, clocking the ninth best two-mile time of 10:22.13.

Bencze also finished in the top 10 in the Class 1A 1600 meter run. His mile run of 4:39.34 was the ninth best finish in the field, less than two-tenths of a second away from earning a medal.

The Winfield-Mount Union Wolves’ cross country season begins on Tuesday, September 1, competing in the Iowa Mennonite School Invitational.