Milbank Runners Earn Top Finishes at Bank Invitational

The Milbank boys cross country team finished third and the Milbank girls team finished fourth at the Bank Invitational on Saturday, September 13. The Whetstone Creek Golf Course north of Milbank welcomed 365 runners from 17 teams across the region. The JV Lady Bulldogs took first place as a team.Tabitha McFaden, Haylen Schneck, and Paula Culhuac won the top three finishes in the race, respectively.

Varsity Boys – 5K Run
Junior Jeter Scoular (17:08.06) was the top runner for the varsity boys in their 5K Run. He came in fifth. Liam Heller (18:00.07) crossed the line in eighth place. Bennett Graham (18:56.18) was next for Milbank in 24th place.  Beckham Berry earned 26th place (19:10.78). Franco Flores was 43rd (19:48.30). Dylan Gerdes of Madison won the race (16:31.23)  As a team, Milbank accrued 59 points with their total time of 1:13:15.09. 

Varsity Boys Team Standings:  (1) Red River –  41 points  (2)  Grand Forks Central – 46  (3) Milbank – 59  (4) Pact-Legacy – 83 (5) Madison – 106  (6) Lac qui Parle Valley-Dawson –106  (7) Great Plains Lutheran – 110  (8) Montevideo –111 (9) Flandreau –122  (10) Breckenridge-Wahpeton –133  (11) Tri-State –211 (12) Border West –237.

Varsity Girls – 5K Run
Freshman Ella Koplin finished in the top 10 for the Lady Bulldogs. She took 10th place ((20:54.81). Bianca Berry was 12th (21:06.16). Macy Mueller came in 18th (21:35.51). Zayda Townsend finished in 39th place (23:20.16). Aria Prasnicki was 45th (23:30.26). Faith Wiese of Flandreau won the race (17:40.02). As a team, Milbank accumulated 69 points with a total time of 1:26:56.64.

Team standings:  (1) Red River –34  (2) Breckenridge-Wahpeton –34  (3) Flandreau – 39  (4) Milbank –69  (5) Grand Forks Central –88  (6) Lac qui Parle Valley – Dawson –96  (7) Pact-Legacy  –114  (8) Madison –130. (9) Great Plains Lutheran –132  (10) Montevideo –142  (11) Sisseton –197

JV Boys – 4K Run – Milbank did not participate 

JV Girls – 4K Run
Tabitha McFaden won first place (17:54.87). Haylen Schneck was second (18:01.85). Paola Culhuac Segundo was third.(18:32.28). Elexia Quintanilla was fourth. (19:23.92). McKenzie Mueller finished in 15th place (20:25.82).Yanderyn Olivares came in 42nd (22:48.74). Camryn Sovell was just behind her in 44th place (23:06.26.)

Team standings: (1) Milbank –12  (2) Redfield –25  (3) Red River –43  (4) Lac qui Parle Valley-Dawson –81  (5) Madison –93  (6) Montevideo –105  (7) Flandreau –107.

7th and 8th Grade Boys – 3K Run
Jefferson Ordonez was the first Milbank runner to finish the race. He came in 13th (13:36.48). Matthew Unzen came in 15th (14:00.77). Justus Gortmaker took 23rd (14:49.84). Gunnar Anderson came in 44th (19:57.67) Ben Sapaugh of Grand Forks Central won the race (11:27.15). No team scores were posted.

7th and 8th Grade Girls  – 3K Run
Lennox Spors was the first Milbank finisher at 12th place (14:47.88). Nuria Rodriguez Duron took 17th place (15:32.80). Ainsley Brown was 19th (15:34.28). Sophie Gruba took 24th place (15:49.66). Quetzalli Culhuac Segundo was 25th (15:53.05). Madelyn Van Lith secured 28th place (16:29.92). Abril Ayala Ramirez came in 32nd place (17:03.36).  Peyton Thompson of Red River won the race (12:41.09). No team scores were posted.

MHS head coach Eric Townsend thanked Mark Leddy of The Bank for sponsoring the event and selling food and drinks. He also thanked the volunteers for helping to put on such a large event.

What’s next? The Bulldogs travel to  the Clyde Cotton Invitational in Huron on Saturday September 20.