Bombers Edge Out Victory in Season Opener at Webster City
#10 Ballard Scores 39 Team Points
WEBSTER CITY, IA — The Ballard Bombers women's cross country team kicked off their 2024 season with an impressive performance, claiming first place at the Briggs Woods Golf Course. The Bombers battled a tough field, including a strong Gilbert team ranked #4 in Class 3A, and emerged victorious with a narrow win.
It was a beautiful evening for cross country, and the Bombers took full advantage of the favorable conditions. Annika Larson led the way for Ballard, finishing 2nd overall with a stellar time of 20:16. Close behind was Brynn Wilson, who, despite battling minor congestion, secured 4th place with a time of 20:59.
Ava Richardson also had a strong showing, crossing the line in 8th place with a time of 21:42. Rounding out the scoring for Ballard were Raya Miller and Kya Hermann, who finished 12th and 13th, respectively. Their times of 22:14 were so close they were only separated by a lean, emphasizing the tight-knit nature of the Bombers' pack running.
The team's solid performance gave them a narrow victory over Gilbert, with a team score of 39 points to Gilbert's 46. Grace Grundmeyer (23:05) and Harper Wendt (23:34) also contributed to the varsity effort, ensuring that every runner played a crucial role in the win.
Comments From Head Coach Scott Barth:
The girls ran against a tough Gilbert girls team who came in ranked #4 in class 3A. It was a back and forth race and we were very fortunate to come out with the victory. Annika Larson opened her season with a 2nd place finish is a very solid time of 20:16. Brynn Wilson battled through some minor congestion and still managed to finish 4th with a time of 20:59. Ava Richadson finished in 8th place with a time of 21:42 and was followed up by a tight pack of runners in Raya Miller and Kya Hermann who finished 12th and 13th overall with times of 22:14 and only separated by a lean! That closed out our scorers and gave us a narrow victory. Grace Grundmeyer and Harper Wendt rounded out the varsity runners with times of 23:05 and 23:34. Also of note is the run by freshman Nora Showman out of the JV race. She is emerging as a solid runner.
We had a good feeling heading into this meet due to the fact that the girls have been running really well and the consistency of their training has been good. We have stayed healthy for the most part and are working really hard to put ourselves into a solid position heading into our meets. That has all paid off and we are pretty happy to have competed well at Webster City. Gilbert is such a solid team and I know that they were not quite at full strength, but we competed well and that is also a good sign moving forward."
The Bombers will return to action on Tuesday, September 10, at the Winterset Invitational Meet. The event will include middle school, junior varsity, and varsity races, beginning at 4:15 PM.
LYNX INVITATIONAL WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES (TOP 6)
1. #10 Ballard, 39
2. #4 Gilbert, 46
3. North Polk, 64
4. Humboldt, 98
5. Boone, 131
6. Fort Dodge, 163
LYNX INVITATIONAL WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL TIMES
2 Annika Larson, 20:16
4 Brynn Wilson, 20:59
8 Ava Richardson, 21:42
12 Raya Miller, 22:14
13 Kya Hermann, 22:14
22 Harper Wendt, 23:05
25 Grace Grundmeyer, 23:34