MONTGOMERY — The Fairmont girls ran to ninth place, while the Cardinal boys placed 14th in the Gerry Smith cross country invitational Thursday.

Class A No. 4-ranked individual Laura Thompson led the Fairmont girls with her second-place finish behind Waseca’s Ella Dufault. Dufault finished with a time of 18:48.9, while Thompson crossed into the chute at 19:26.4, setting Fairmont’s sophomore girls 5K record. Belle Plaine’s No. 11-ranked McKenna Hermann ran to a time of 19:53.4, placing her sixth.

Tabitha Thatcher was the next Fairmont girl to finish the race when she crossed the finish line at 22:03.2, good for 32nd in the 156-competitor race. Hannah Neusch finished third for the Cardinals and 36th overall with a time of 22:19.8, while Emma Gudahl took 22:38.2, good for 47th.

Sara Sundblad gave Fairmont its final counting time when she finished in 81st at 24:10.3. Eleanor Hamlet (24:20.7) finished 84th overall, while Becca Lunn (26:20.4) took 110th for Fairmont.

Fairmont totalled 198 points for its ninth-place finish, behind Waseca’s 182. Rochester Century claimed first as a team with 85 points, while Waconia was right behind with 86 for second. No. 7-ranked Belle Plaine took third with 119 points, while No. 11-ranked Stewartville captured fifth with 170.

Two Madelia/Truman/Granada-Huntley-East Chain Jayhawks ran in the varsity girls race.

Ella Bergeman ran for a time of 24:46.6, good for 103rd, while Samantha Moeller finished in 27:59.5 for 143rd.

Fairmont head coach Bob Bonk said he was impressed with the Cardinal girls’ performances.

“I thought what was most pleasing about the girls race was we finished second among our section teams with two-thirds of the section there,” Bonk said. “That’s what we were really most focused on and it felt really good. Laura ran another terrific race and that was actually our school sophomore record in the 5K. The next pack of three did a really good job finishing in the top half of the race and Sara (Sundblad), Eleanor (Hamlet) and Becca (Lunn) did a good job running near their season’s-best or personal-bests.”

In the boys race, Fairmont finished with 350 points for 14th.

William Saari led the Fairmont boys with a 12th-place finish in 17:16.3, while Connor Artner took 28th in the 184-runner race with a time of 17:42.9.

Tony Ortega finished third for the Cardinals and 70th overall when he hit the chute at 19:00, then Tyrell Zieske crossed the finish line at 19:40.4 for 94th.

Alex Cruz slotted Fairmont’s final counting time at 21:40.3, good for 146th, while Gavin Artner took 166th with a time of 23:24.4.

“Will Saari keeps running great,” Bonk said. “To finish 12th in a race that big and with a lot of double-A competitors, that was great for him. Connor Artner ran probably his best race of the season and did a really good job moving up during the race. Most of our boys ended up right around the middle of the race and they keep showing that they can do well as a team even though we don’t have much depth.”

The Blue Earth Area boys placed 22nd as a team with 602 points. Grant Strukel finished 38th as an individual with a time of 17:59.8, while Angel Martinez took 103rd at 19:56.

Carson Strukel crossed the finish line at 22:00.9 for 151st, then Cameron Germain was close behind at 22:13.4 for 152nd.

Damion Mahlstedt was the final Buc to finish when he crossed at 22:34.4, placing him 158th.

Two Jayhawk boys competed in the 5K, Jacob Moeller (20:37.9) placed 129th, while Colin Wihlm (22:18) placed 160th.

No. 7-ranked St. James Area took first as a team with 64 points, including three top-eight finishes, while No. 9-ranked Mankato Loyola/Cleveland finished fifth at 165 points.

No. 11-ranked individual Mitchell Johnstone, from Mankato Loyola/Cleveland, took second with a time of 16:20.

Fairmont runs again at the Turkey Trot at Prairie View Golf Course at 4:30 p.m. next Thursday, while BEA and MTGHEC run in the Maple River Invite at Daly Park in Mapleton.

2019 Gerry Smith Invite

Varsity Girls (5K)

Team Results: 1. Rochester Century 85; 2. Waconia 86; 3. Belle Plaine 119; 4. Jordan 123; 5. Stewartville 170; 6. New Prague 172; 7. Rochester Lourdes 181; 8. Waseca 182; 9. Fairmont 198; 10. Mahtomedi 220; 11. Glencoe-Silver Lake 303; 12. Mound Westonka 306; 13. Le Sueur-Henderson 324; 14. Richfield 417; 15. Sibley East 474; 16. Tri-City United 476; 17. Norwood Young America 523; 18. United South Central/Alden-Conger 543; 19. Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet 562; 20. Cannon Falls 577; 21. Medford 663.

Individual Results (Top 15 Medalists): 1. Ella Dufault (WAS) 18:48.9; 2. Laura Thompson (FMT) 19:26.4; 3. Kendra Krueger (JOR) 19:38.8; 4. Basia Babcock (JOR) 19:45.2; 5. Nora Rosemeier (NP) 19:46.1; 6. McKenna Herrmann (BP) 19:53.4; 7. Lauryn Renier (RL) Rochester Lourdes 19:55.0; 8. Kailee Malone (STEW) 19:57.8; 9. Laura Sunnarborg (MW) 19:58.6; 10. Kennedy Speer (RC) 20:16.6; 11. Addy Kaeding (WAC) 20:16.6; 12. Kate Ulrich (WAC) 20:17.6; 13. Ava Nuttall (RC) 20:18.8; 14. Hadley Stuehrenberg (SP) 20:21.8; 15. Makayla Fischer (MAH) 20:37.1.

Other Fairmont Results: 32. Tabitha Thatcher 22:03.2; 36. Hannah Neusch 22:19.8; 47. Emma Gudahl 22:38.2; 81. Sara Sundblad 24:10.3; 84. Eleanor Hamlet 24:20.7; 110. Becca Lunn 26:20.4.

MTGHEC Results: 103. Ella Bergeman 24:46.6; 143. Samantha Moeller 27:59.5.

VARSITY BOYS (5K)

Team Results: 1. St. James Area 64; 2. Rochester Century 105; 3. Waseca 120; 4. New Prague 152; 5. Mankato Loyola/Cleveland 165; 6. Waconia 230; 7. Benilde-St. Margaret’s 244; 8. Jordan 262; 9. Mound Westonka 266; 10. Belle Plaine 307; 11. Mahtomedi 313; 12. Rochester Lourdes 323; 13. TCU 345; 14. Fairmont 350; 15. Stewartville 375; 16. Sibley East 421; 17. Glencoe-Silver Lake 433; 18. NYA 445; 19. Maple River 513; 20. LSH 555; 21. Medford 588; 22. Blue Earth Area 602; 23. Minnesota Valley Lutheran 608; 24. New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 621; 25. Richfield 646; 26. Cannon Falls 692.

Individual Results (Top 15): 1. Peter Lynch (BSM) 15:57.9; 2. Mitchell Johnstone (MLC) 16:20.0; 3. Andrew Hastings (BP) 16:32.0; 4. Symon Keiser (JOR) 16:44.3; 5. Seth Pierson (SJA) 16:51.3; 6. Caleb Rivera (SJA) 17:00.0; 7. Seth Hill (RC) 17:03.2; 8. Troy Parulski (SJA) 17:04.5; 9. Eli Johannsen (WAS) 17:07.2; 10. Alec Van Gelder (MW) 17:09.7; 11. Carter Poncelet (RC) 17:15.6; 12. William Saari (FMT) 17:16.3; 13. Jacob Malecha (NP) 17:18.8; 14. Austin Antony (TCU) 17:19.7; 15. Adam Brandt (NP) 17:20.1.

Other Fairmont Results: 28. Connor Artner 17:42.9; 70. Tony Ortega 19:00; 94. Tyrell Zieske 19:40.4; 146. Alex Cruz 21:40.3; 166. Gavin Artner 23:24.4.

BEA Results: 38. Grant Strukel 17:59.8; 103. Angel Martinez 19:56; 151. Carson Strukel 22:00.9; 152. Cameron Germain 22:13.4; 158. Damion Mahlstedt 22:34.4.

MTGHEC Results: 129. Jacob Moeller 20:37.9; 160: Colin Wihlm 22:18.