Ashlynn Batchelor Beats 180 Girls to Win Border Battle Race

Milbank’s Ashlynn Batchelor beat 180 girls from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Canada to take top honors at The Second Annual Border Battle in Grand Forks, North Dakota, on Saturday, September 30. In a field of 21 complete teams, the Lady Bulldogs varsity team powered their way to third place led by A. Batchelor, Ella Koplin, and Bianca Berry. Each of the trio placed in the top 20 and earned a podium finish. All of the Millbank girls varsity runners finished in the top half of the pack. 

Milbank’s head coach, Eric Townsend, said, “Ashlynn was the individual champion. She won by 50 seconds and set a Class A meet record. This is the second annual [Border Battle] meet and it has a big meet atmosphere with music, concessions, different races, etc. They did a great job of hosting this meet.”  

According to Townsend, the boys varsity team finished in eighth place in a field of 32 complete teams, although the Bulldogs top-two competitors –Payton Brown and James Batchelor– were out due to illnesses.  “Both teams need to heal some illnesses heading into the NEC week as both teams should be in the hunt for an NEC team title,” Townsend commented. 

The Bulldogs travel to the Northeast Conference (NEC) Meet in Webster on Thursday October 5. The varsity girls race starts at 1 p.m., and the varsity boys race follows. The JV races follow the varsity boys race.

Results from the Border Battle in Grand Forks: 

Varsity Girls 5K Race
Sophomore Ashlynn Batchelor won the varsity girls 5K race. She crossed the finish line in 18:59.2. The second-place runner, Kamryn Nesheim of Clark-Willow Lake, came in at a distant 19:49.9. Evyn Jacobson of Rugby, North Dakota, was the third-place winner at 20.00.06.

Seventh grader Ella Koplin of Milbank took 14th place with her time of 20:43.8. Eighth grader Bianca Berry was hot on her heels at 20:44.9 in ,mn 15th place.

Kynlee Speidel took 56th place for the Lady Bulldogs at 22:12.0. Zayda Townsend claimed 60th place at 22:20.1. Tyra Berry took 78th .She clocked in at 22:55.0.

Team Rankings and Average Times:
1. Clark-Willow Lake–20:54.5
2. Hawley, Minnesota–21:01.4
3. Milbank–21:00.0
4. Rugby, North Dakota–21:13.5
5. Bowman County, North Dakota– 21:18.7

JV Girls -5K Run
Annika De Smet of Winnipeg won the girls JV 5K run in 18:49.5. Elexia Quintanilla was the top Lady Dawg. She claimed 40th place for Milbank at 23:01.2  Yanderyn Olivares took 142nd place at 26:08.7. Macy Mueller took 145th at 26:10.0. Jaclyn Wiik came in at 26:46.3 to land in 163rd place. Camryn Sovell was 182nd at 27:25.2. Sophia Gastineau came in at 27:44.0 to claim 186th. Jazmynne Ronke finished at 200th with her time of  28:33.1

Eighth-Grade Girls 3K Race
Bree Townsend and Raina Untalan competed with 105 other runners in the eighth-grade girls 3K race. Townsend came in 48th for the Lady Bulldogs at 14:23.3, and Untalan at 14:37.5 landed in 56th place.

Seventh-Grade Girls 3K Race
Zooe Henrich represented the Lady Bulldogs seventh-grade team. She earned 52nd place out of 97 runners.

Varsity Boys 5K
The varsity boys 5K run featured 223 racers. Junior Bryan Meyer was the top finisher for Milbank. Meyer took 34th place with his time of 17:48.2. Issac Graham claimed 42nd place at 18:01.9. Liam Heller crossed the line at 18:35.4 for 61st place. Berry Beckham was 81st at 18:57.8. Grant VanPeursum took 136th. He clocked 20:15.9.

Team Rankings and Average Times:
1. Bowman County, North Dakota–16:51.6
2. Kindred, North Dakota–16:49.8
3. New Town, North Dakota–17:24.2
4. Holdingford, Minnesota–17:44.2
5. Hillsboro-Central Valley, North Dakota–17:46.1
6. Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin, Minnesota–18:08.6
7. Hawley, Minnesota–18:23.9
8. Milbank–18:43.8
9. Rugby, North Dakota–18:47.5
10. Lac qui Parle Valley- Dawson- Boyd, Minnesota–18:46.8

JV Boys 5K Race
Bulldogs Bennett Graham and Jose Hernandez represented the Milbank JV boys team. Graham came in 73rd place and Hernandez finished 155. Over350 racers competed.

8th Grade Boys 3K Race
Milbank’s Franco Flores came in 76th place. His time was 12:50.3. Armando Chan finished 82nd at 13:01.9.

Submitted Photo