By John Rittenhouse
A shorthanded Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth cross country team competed at the Dragon Invitational in Adrian Tuesday.
Illness and injuries limited the number of Patriots entered in varsity competition, but H-BC-E did receive some solid efforts from complete boys' junior varsity and boys' junior high squads.
With Nathan Mahone winning an individual championship with a time of 5:50 to lead the way, H-BC-E won the boysÕ junior high team title with 26 points.
Kerry Fink (fourth in 6:05), Devin DeBoer (fifth in 6:09), John Sandbulte (13th in 6:21) and Adam Finke (15th in 6:32) contributed to H-BC-E's team cause.
Justin Hinks placed 33rd in 7:56 without contributing to the team tally.
The boys' junior varsity team placed second to Sioux Falls Washington by a 42-43 margin.
Tyler Bush won the individual crown with a time of 14:27.
Greg Van Batavia (sixth in 15:35), Lee Walraven (seventh in 15:42), Derek Haak (13th in 16:16) and Paul Jess (26th in 17:26) padded the team tally.
Jared Drenth placed 33rd in 17:51 without contributing to the scoring.
Brad Haak and Nathan Fick represented the Patriot boys at the varsity level.
Haak finished second individually with a time of 17:28. Fick was 35th in 19:52.
Stacy Bush placed 20th with a time of 7:48 in the girls' junior high race, and Brittney Rozeboom was second in the girls' junior varsity run with a 17:31 effort.
The Patriots compete at the first Red Rock Conference meet in Slayton Tuesday.