It was the first race for many on Saturday (September 7th) as multiple Kanzaland area teams took to the course from their first cross country action of the season at the Marysville Invitational.

While a few non-area schools highlighted the top team performances and top individual crowns, 13 area runners from eight different area schools came away with a top 20 performance on the day.

The boys competition was were the biggest highlight came for the area teams with five spots in the top 10 going to area competitors all from different schools. Washington County Tiger, Dylan Hodgson lead the way of those performances notching a second place finish behind a time of 17:06.23. Then fifth place through eighth was claimed by area competitors with Axtell's, Tracy Schmitz taking fifth (17:58.68), Marysville's, Joe Smith placing sixth (18:09.79) , Valley Heights', Athony Edwards grabbing seventh and Frankfort's, Adam Koch (18:24.61) taking home eighth place.

Two other area runners notched top 20 finishes as Nemaha Valley Raider, Colin Lierz finished 14th (19:19.90) and Horton Charger, Austin Tarwater took hom 20th (20:14.21).

Frankfort lead the way for area team performances in the boys competition finishing third place, while Washington County took fourth, Nemaha Valley fifth, Valley Heights sixth and Horton seventh out of seven teams competing. Omaha South and Riley County took home first and second, respectively.

On the girls side only two area competitors finished in the top 10 but six finished in the top 20.

Marysville Bulldog, Bryclin Alstrom notched the top area performance placing eighth on the day behind a time of 18:10.14. She was followed by Centralia Panther, Sadie Jones who took home ninth place with a time of 18:33.00.

Four other girls from the area placed in the top 20, taking home 17th through 20th place finishes in the competition, as Washington County Tiger, Madison Stone took 17th (20:02.29), Nemaha Valley Raiders, Annie Davis and Shania Davis placed 18th and 19th, respectively (20:05.79 & 20:18.20) and Paige Menninga of Axtell placed 20th (20:18.20).

Three of the area schools represented field a team in the girl’s competition finishing fourth, fifth and sixth out of six teams in the girl’s competition. Nemaha Valley took home fourth, Washington County fifth and Horton took sixth.

Cross country season started off with a solid performance for many teams in the Marysville Invite and they will look to build upon that moving forward into the season.

(Full Results from the 2013 Marysville Cross Country Invite -- click here)