Winfield-Mount Union senior Gavin Bencze (white shirt) approaches the finish line of this month’s Fairfield Invitational. Photo by KCII Sports Nate Gonner.

An area runner came away with a first place finish at Tuesday’s Mount Pleasant cross country meet. The Panthers’ annual meet was a two-class race including runners from Cardinal, Central Lee, Columbus, Danville, Fairfield, Fort Madison, Holy Trinity, Keokuk, Lone Tree, Louisa-Muscatine, Mediapolis, Notre Dame, Van Buren, WACO, Wapello, Winfield-Mount Union and Wilton.

Winfield-Mount Union senior Gavin Bencze clocked a race time of 18:14.59, the seventh overall finish. When the times were separated by class, Bencze topped the small division boys field by nearly eight seconds. W-MU head cross country coach Casey Robertson says it’s Bencze’s second individual championship of his varsity cross country career. His first was last year at the Van Buren Invitational.

Bencze and the W-MU Wolves will resume their race season Monday, taking part in the Clear Creek Amana Invitational. Runners from Clear Creek Amana, Columbus, English Valleys, HLV, Mid-Prairie, Vinton-Shellsburg, WACO and Waterloo East will compete in the meet.