Submitted Photo Members of the Panthers boys’ cross country team race to finish during their 5,000-meter run. Photo courtesy of Bill Jansen

The Rugby Panthers competed in the Bismarck Anderson/Stavn Invitational at the McDowell Dam Recreation Area in Bismarck on Friday, Sept. 12.

Teams from 25 different schools competed in the varsity 5,000 meter race for the meet. The Lady Panthers took home twelfth overall with a total score of 390. Senior Hannah Senechal was the fastest runner for the Rugby girls cross country team for the meet with a time of 21 minutes nine seconds. She took home 27th place individually out of 138 runners. Senechal placed highest out of any Rugby athlete at the meet, with the next highest being eighth grader Katelyn Shively placing 69th with a time of 22 minutes 51 seconds and junior Keyara Lundstrom in 88th place with a time of 23 minutes 45 seconds.

Rugby High boys cross country junior Brayden Herman was the fastest runner for the Panthers’ boys cross country team at the Bismarck Anderson/Stavn Invitational, taking 98th with a time of 20 minutes 29 seconds. His personal record for the 5,000 meters race is 19 minutes eleven seconds which he earned during the 2024 season at the North Dakota Class B East Regional Cross Country Championship. Seventh grade Jeremy Van Steenvoort was second for the Rugby Panthers in the 5,000 meter taking 113th place with a time of 20 minutes 59 seconds. His personal record for the 5,000 meter was earned earlier this season at the 9th Annual Devils Lake Grahams Island Invitational where he took 15th place in the varsity race with a time of 19 minutes 41 seconds. The Panthers boys cross country team took home 19th place overall out of 29 teams with an overall score of 592.