The Ballard  men's cross country team took on a challenging field at the Fort Dodge Invitational, facing some of the state's top programs.  Competing against mostly Class 4A teams, Ballard finished 26th overall.  Despite the tough competition, the Bombers showed grit and determination, with several runners achieving personal records.

Leading the way for Ballard was Austin Vance, who finished 105th with a season-best time of 17:35.10.  Coach Scott Barth praised Vance's performance, noting that he is positioning himself as a potential state qualifier in Class 3A.  "Austin is focused and driven to excel, and it shows in his workouts and meets.  I'm happy with what I'm seeing from him," said Barth.

Graden Hermann overcame illness to deliver a strong effort, placing 139th with a time of 18:22.10.  Close behind were freshmen Owen Davidson (155th, 18:59.70) and Isaac Swisher (157th, 19:07.40), both showing promise for the future.  Parker Domino and Kolbe Odden finished together in 171st and 174th with times of 19:54.40 and 20:02.50, respectively.  Jude Jones closed out Ballard's varsity lineup with a time of 20:29.00, finishing 183rd.

Coach Barth reflected on the youth of the team, noting that the Bombers' lineup consists mostly of freshmen and sophomores.  "We are very young, and one concern in meets of this caliber is that they go out too fast, and I think that happened somewhat today.  However, it's hard to fault them for wanting to compete.  We'll call it a learning experience," Barth said.  He emphasized the importance of carrying the team's competitive edge into workouts, saying, "We need to push ourselves in practices and embrace the 'uncomfortable zone' during harder workouts.  That's the key to growing and getting where we want to be."

With the championship season approaching, Ballard's focus shifts to the Raccoon River Conference (RRC) Meet, where they will face some of the top-ranked Class 3A teams in the state.  The Bombers will look to have both Austin Vance and Max fully ready to compete, which will boost their team potential.  Barth highlighted the need for tight scoring packs and strong leadership from Vance to position Ballard well at the RRC meet.

FORT DODGE INVITATIONAL MEN'S TEAM SCORES (TOP 10)

1. Dowling, 41

2. Norwalk, 126

3. Waukee Northwest, 157

4. Ankeny Centennial, 184

5. Ankeny, 205

6. Lewis Central, 218

7. Johnston, 228

7. Waukee, 228

9. Indianola, 251

10. Dallas Center-Grimes, 261

14. Ballard, 727

FORT DODGE MEN'S INDIVIDUAL TIMES

105 Austin Vance, 17:35.10

139 Graden Hermann, 18:22.10

155 Owen Davidson, 18:59.70

157 Isaac Swisher, 19:07.40

171 Parker Domino, 19:54.40

174 Kolbe Odden, 20:02.50

183 Jude Jones, 20:29.00