Green Estate Park was the site for the start of the cross country season.

Mexico hosted the Mexico Cross Country Invitational that held several area teams and saw some early success from those teams. Centralia and Mexico finished first and second, respectively, in the boys 5K at 21 and 53 points, and Maggie Ramsey represented Mexico well in the girls 5K with a fifth-place finish.

The Centralia boys had four in the top five of the 81-runner field and six in the top 20 to all earn medals. Nolan Spickert won the race with a time of 17:14.75, Carter Moss was third with a 17:37.20, Dryst Bostick was fourth with a 17:43.67, Wesley Robertson was fifth with a 17:53.99, Zane Deckerd was 12th with a 19:02.66 and Jensen Decker was 13th with a 19:06.13.

Mexico’s boys had three in the top 10 and five in the top 20. Andrew Peuster led with a sixth place time of 17:58.90, Hunter Bickell was ninth with a 18:22.70, Brady McCoy was 10th with a 18:44.28, Tyler Grimes was 14th with a 19:15.57, and Carter Nading was 19th with a 19:21.55. Riley Gordon missed medaling in 28th place, but head coach Lucas Breneman said his 19:59.33 time was strong for somebody who ran his first 5K ever.

Jacob Stallone was Missouri Military Academy’s best boys finisher in 53rd place followed by Chase Von Savoye in 60th for the ninth-place Colonels, Layton Wright was Community R-6 best runner in 62nd place, and Emerson Reinhard finished 63rd as North Callaway’s lone runner.

For the girls race, Ramsey had a time of 22:48.53 in the 52-runner field, and Emma Seibert was Mexico’s next best girl with a 20th-place time of 25:21.59 to just make the medal threshold. Katelyn Asbury was Centralia top girl with a 12th-place time of 24:33.49, and Grace Rasmussen was 13th for North Callaway with a time of 24:34.96.