Opening the October portion of their season last Tuesday on their home course proved beneficial for Hermann Middle School (HMS) and Hermann High School (HHS) cross country runners.

Once all five races of the Hermann Invitational Cross Country meet at Loutre Shore Country Club were in the books, a total of 14 medals and two team plaques made the short trek back across the Missouri River Bridge.

Varsity action saw Hermann do the most damage with the Bearcats topping eight other scoring teams while the Lady Bearcats placed second to Union in the varsity girls team standings.

Continuing a successful senior year, Hermann senior Nolan Kopp led the varsity boys race wire-to-wire before going on to post a first-place time of 16:20.32 finishing just over 15 seconds ahead of Owensville’s Zach Holtmeyer (16.35.41).

Fellow varsity Bearcats helping Hermann top the team standings with 41 points included Nathan Menke (8th, 18:07.10), Ryker Ash (9th, 18:08.93), Chase Branson (13th, 18:42.36), Eric Chorley (14th, 18:43.08), CJ Mires (22nd, 19:47.95) and Darius Rudzinski (44th, 21:17.46).

Hermann’s Lady Bearcats had four runners in the top 20 good for medals in the varsity girls division led by junior Cecilia Shepard’s seventh-place time of 22:33.78.

Fellow Lady Bearcats in the medals helping HHS place second with 54 team points behind Union’s first-place team total of 35 points included Alaina Heaney (9th, 22:50.80), Lorena Uthlaut (12th, 23:16.67) and Elaina Uthlaut (20th, 24:14.35).

Also on the course for Hermann’s varsity Lady Bearcats were Eileen Swofford (26th, 24:44.89), Grace Engemann (27th, 24:53.32), Lillian Vogelsang (31st, 25:13.56), Makenna Witthaus (32nd, 25:19.37), Fynnlee Riffle (33rd, 25:19.45), Nevaeh Bentley (34th, 25:19.80), Grace Berkemeyer (37th, 25:28.80), Jocelyn Neill (39th, 26:22.99) and Addison Hopper (59th, 29:56.49).

Three Hermann JV Bearcats also claimed medals on their home course led by Colin Nunnally’s seventh-place time of 21:00.36. He was followed in the top 15 by Holden Schales (11th, 21:17.42) and Jackson Engemann (14th, 21:28.58).

Additional JV Bearcat harriers helping Hermann place fourth as a team with 63 points included Aiden Branson (17th, 21:49.08) and James Leavy (24th, 22:42.26).

Jaxon Kallmeyer emerged as the lone medalist for HMS’ Bearcats with a 17th-place time of 12:39.99 during the middle school boys race.

Also helping Hermann place fifth as a team with 180 points were Matthew Talent (32nd, 13:34.63), Laramie Bristow (38th, 13:44.18), Wade Lane (43rd, 13:58.65), Mason Roche (62nd, 14:34.36), Teagan Rucker (74th, 15:04.95), Henry Lindahl (94th, 15:42.94), Kayden Brinker (107th, 16:19.12), Ivan Rudzinski (113th, 16:30.49) and William Traub (150th, 19:35.69).

Kennedy Schwenck showed the way for HMS’ Lady Bearcats in the middle school girls race with a 12th-place time of 14:23.84.

Among the runners also helping Hermann place seventh in the middle school girls team standings with 189 points were Kylee Schweighauser (43rd, 16:32.32), Ellison Calvert (53rd, 17:21.63), Sidney Heldt (62nd, 17:55.39), Jenna Fredrick (64th, 17:56.60), Kylie VandeVoorde (67th, 18:09.99), Olivia Waechter (72nd, 18:27.92), Natalie Englert (79th, 18:52.33), Audrey Talamante (82nd, 18:58.28), Kyah Humphrey (88th, 20:03.61), Iris Pottebaum (98th, 21:11..47), Abigail Heisel (100th, 21:26.04), Lillian Luckett (104th, 22:13.46) and Ella Grace Carr (111th, 24:21.78).

Running yesterday (Tuesday) during the Owensville Invitational Cross Country meet at Owensville High School (OHS), HMS and HHS harriers will return to Owensville next Tuesday for the annual Four Rivers Conference (FRC) Cross Country meet with racing beginning at 11 a.m.