Thomas Peuster shook his head. No one, he explained, could match the pace of Southern Boone's Connor Burns.
While Burns scorched the Fulton Invitational field on Saturday morning with a time of …
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![Jordan Wyeman keeps pace on a sweltering morning. [Dave Faries]](https://epsilon.creativecirclecdn.com/mexicoledger/original/20210923-091125-XC%20at%20Fulton%201.JPG)
![Thomas Peuster on his way to a fifth place finish in the Fulton Invitational. [Dave Faries]](https://epsilon.creativecirclecdn.com/mexicoledger/original/20210923-091143-XC%20at%20Fulton%202.JPG)
Thomas Peuster shook his head. No one, he explained, could match the pace of Southern Boone's Connor Burns.
While Burns scorched the Fulton Invitational field on Saturday morning with a time of 16:38.34, Mexico's Peuster crossed the line in fifth, just seven seconds behind Perry Scott of Helias Catholic and comfortably in front of Eldon's Nathan Reynolds.
"I did better than I thought," said Peuster, who struggled to find his stride along the first part of the course and then passed several runners to claim a top five. "It's a fast course, that's what disappoints me the most.
Peuster ran a time of 18:09.33.
Mexico's Guy Fairchild caught and passed two runners just before the finish line to claim 13th place in the boys varsity race.
"I got a burst of energy," he explained. "I dropped 26 seconds at the end."
Tyler Grimes, Emanuel Ramirez Rodriguez and Andrew Peuster finished further back in the field.
As a team, the Bulldogs took 10th position, with Bowling Green claiming gold. Centralia's boys claimed fourth spot, thanks in part to strong showings by John Holiman (19th) and Carter Moss (23).
Brendan Reinhard was North Callaway's top performer, running 57th.
Fairchild says the Fulton meet is always held under sweltering conditions, at least during his time with Mexico. But temperatures were in the upper 80s by the time the girls took to the course at 10:30 a.m.
"The heat was really bad, but everything in running is a mind game," explained Mexico's Kalea Henneberry. "I did my best."
Her best put Henneberry in 19th with a time of 23:59.59 and helped the Bulldogs finish fourth on the girls team leaderboard.
Jordan Wyeman led a pack of Bulldogs that included Sidney and Kali Turlington, crossing in 23rd, 25th and 27th, respectively. And Viviana Benjamin was not far back in 32nd.
"It was challenging with the heat," Wyeman said. "But I felt I had some more energy to give."
Mya Miller rounded out the lineup.
Alex Volkart of Southern Boone took gold in the girls competition, running a 19:54.37. Southern Boone also claimed the team title. Centralia took third and North Callaway fifth.
Jozelynn Bosticks' 20:58.67 earned the Centralia runner a third place finish. Shelby Lewis and Gretchen Marriott also picked up top 15 spots, with Lewis in 10th and Marriott two places behind.
North Callaway's Pressley Smauch took fifth with a time of 21:55.34. Meanwhile Piper Jeffries, Rachael Jeffries and Lydia Backer ran strong races in mid-pack for the Thunderbirds.
