SHS cross country qualifies two for state meet at Kearney

The Superior High School cross country team members competed at the District D-4 meet run over the Franklin Country Club 5K course Thursday.

The boys team finished in seventh place, with 63 points, in the 12 team field. Other schools with teams running at the meet were Shelton, Nebraska Christian, Doniphan-Trumbull, Ravenna, Franklin, Hastings St. Cecilia, Arcadia-Loup City, Red Cloud-Blue Hill, Kenesaw, Centura and Palmer.

Hunter Mazzulla, a freshman, earned a trip to the state meet with his eighth place finish in the individual standings. His time for his jaunt around the course was 18:51.41. Brett Miller secured 22nd place with his time of 19:58.14. Gavin Ekstein took 39th place with his time of 21:21.54. Luka Benjamin finished in 50th place with his time of 22:09.03. There were 60 runners in the field.

Laci Kirchhoff, a junior, qualified for the state meet, in her first year of competing in cross country, with her 13th place finish in the individual standings. Her time for the 5K race was 23:03.39. Brianna Stricklin was in 35th place with her time of 25:59.98. There were 52 runners in the field. The girls did not record a team time as they lacked the required four team members. Kirchhoff is in her first year competing in cross country. She has been a member of the volleyball team in previous seasons.

Kirchhoff and Mazzulla will run the Kearney Country Club course Friday. The girls race begins at noon while the boys race gets underway at one p.m.