The Sturgis boys cross country team placed fourth at the Jackson Invitational Saturday with 126 points behind No. 1-ranked St. Clair, Otsego and Chelsea.
With senior Grant Brown and sophomore Shawn Bell pulling the Trojans along, the squad turned in what coach Emerson Green called “our best team race of the year.” That tandem “gave us a really solid front group,” Green said of Brown (16:44) and Bell (16:46), who finished 11th and 12th, respectively.
Juniors Terry Stahl and Trever Sprowls had lifetime bests at Ella Sharp Park course. Stahl was 23rd overall (17:14) and Sprowls was close behind in 26th with a time of 17:19.
“It bodes well for them breaking 17 on that same course at regionals,” Green said.
Junior David Polzin (18:07) was 54th and tied his season best time. Daniel Steele’s rehab race went well on Friday night,” said Green, who is hopeful to have the sophomore back in time for the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference meet in over a week from now. Steele ran an 18:15 Friday in the JV race at Jackson.
The Sturgis girls finished 13th with 358 points. Senior Peyton Boughton was 10th in 20:22 and sophomore Alaina Cholometes was 71st with a lifetime best race of 23:05 — more than a minute faster than her previous best.
Sarah Hackman (23:52), Elle Bowman (24:01), Emma Robertson (25:20), and Jacquelynn Allen (28:00) rounded out the Trojan placers. East Grand Rapids won the meet with 73 points, but Green was more concerned with the ground his team appeared to make up on SMAC foes Harper Creek and future Wolverine Conference opponent Otsego.