The Columbus Community Wildcats were the top area cross country team at the Winfield-Mount Union Invitational Thursday night. Columbus finished second in the boys’ team standings and third on the girls’ side. Eight total Wildcats had top-20 times, including five for the Columbus boys. Damian Vergara finished eighth to lead Columbus with a time of 18 minutes and 54.7 seconds. Tim Hills-Carrier was right behind him in ninth place with a time of 18 minutes and 57 seconds. Bryan Tlatenchi finished 12th, Cael Phillips ended up 16th and Tyler Humiston was 19th. For the Columbus girls, Naveiah Garza finished fourth in 24-and-a-half minutes, while Quinn Yotter was 13th and Averi Sipes was 19th.

In their home meet, WMU earned a third-place finish in the boys’ team standings. The Wolves’ Kholby Newsom and Gabriel Hemsworth were fourth and fifth, respectively. Newsom crossed the finish line in 18 minutes and 21 seconds, while Hemsworth clocked in 4 seconds later. Bowen Thomson ended up 18th.

The WACO Warriors had one runner in each race make into the top 20. Keriran Lutjens was 14th in the boys’ race, while Justine Lynn was 12th on the girls’ course. The Lone Tree Lions did have a top finisher in Vivian Zaruba, who was second in the girls’ 5k. The top time for the Lone Tree boys belonged to Taylor Alberhasky in 48th.