Several KCII area cross country runners competed Thursday evening in the Fairfield Invitational. The 3.1 mile race through Waterworks Park was broken down into two separate race fields. The small school field included runners from Highland, Lone Tree, Pekin, Wapello, Winfield-Mount Union, Cardinal, and Danville-New London. The large school field included athletes from Washington, Chariton, Central Lee, Fort Madison, Fairfield, Mount Pleasant, Notre Dame-West Burlington, and Ottumwa. The top 15 runners medalled at the Fairfield Invitational.

The girls’ small school race saw the Pekin Panther cross country team achieve a rare feat. The top seven finishers were Panther runners, all crossing the finish line in under 23 minutes. Taylor Lock won the race with a time of 21:01. The other six runners in the order they finished includes Zoey Wright, Hollie Loper, Hunter Lock, Payton Lock, and Kellie Myers.

Lone Tree’s Paige Doehrmann was the first non Panther to cross the finish line, clocking the eighth best time in the meet at 22:58. Winfield-Mount Union’s Cecelia Hemsworth finished just outside the top ten, recording the 11th best time of 23:57. Lone Tree’s Sydney Alt finished one spot behind Hemsworth, crossing the line less than a full second behind Hemsworth.

The girls large school race saw a pair of Washington Demons finish in the top 10. Sophomore Brooke Stout finished in eight place, clocking her personal best time of 21:15. Senior Emme Keith also posted her best 3.1 mile time of her career, finishing in 10th place with a time of 21:20. Freshman Molly Sparks finished just outside the top 15, placing 17th with a time of 23:06.

The boys’ small school race saw Highland’s Keiffer Sexton win his first meet of the season, clocking a time of 17:02. Sexton has finished in the top five of every race he has participated in this season, including a second place finish at the Keota Invitational on Tuesday.

A trio of Pekin Panther runners finished behind Sexton, including Ryan Millikin in second place with a time of 17:22. Malcom Myers finished third overall, 16 seconds behind Millikin, and Autin Farriss crossed the finish line in fourth place with a time of 17:48.

Other notable finishers in the small school race includes Winfield-Mount Union’s Gavin Benzce placing sixth with a time of 18:11. Highland’s Caleb Brase came in eighth place with a time of 18:23, and Lone Tree’s Jake Viner placed 12 with a time of 19:19.

The Demon boys cross country team wasn’t able to get anyone in the top 15 in the large school race on Thursday. Junior Owen Horak finished one spot away from a medal, clocking a time 18:46.