By Aydan Holub-Schultz

After a season filled with canceled meets, wet and muddy courses, and abnormal weather the Mount Vernon-Lisbon cross country teams had their conference meet in South Tama on Thursday, October 11. The boys’ cross country team coached by Kory Swart placed fifth out of 14 teams.

The boys were led by senior David Wolfe who placed twelfth out of 96 competitors with a time of 17:24. “At the meet we put it all together,” said Wolfe. “We weren’t racing for times as much as we were racing for places. Getting ready for a good districts finish on Thursday.”

Wolfe was followed by Jackson Meeker who ran a 17:34 and Oliver Crocker who finished with a time of 17:41.

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon girls also competed in the conference meet in South Tama last week. The girls were led by junior Aubrey Frey who placed fourth out of 96 participants with a time of 19:57. Frey was followed by sophomore Alice Conroy who placed twenty-eighth, posting a time of 21:28.

“My strategy was to go out with the top group and stay tucked behind them to block the wind until the second mile and then I would try to take off and create a gap,” said Frey. “As a team we had our sights set on beating Solon because they are a really strong team. My mindset going into the meet was that I have something left in me; one of my coaches told me that I can go faster than I think I can.”

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon boys and girls compete in West Delaware for the district meet today at 4 p.m.