In the first conference meet the junior high Bobcat cross country team competed in, one runner brought home a medal, Friday.

Ethan Kester finished seventh in the boys' race, run Friday, at the Atkinson-Stuart Country Club. Kester ran 7:16.44. Austin Mendoza finished 11th, rnning 7:48.71. Caden Mendoza ended 16th, with a time of 8:21.84. Bennet Flenniken was on Mendoza's heels, running 8:22.14, finishing 17th. Tucker Dougherty placed 19th, with a time of 9:02.84.

Boyd County won the junior high boys' division, as Will Nelson claimed the individual title.

He ran 6:14.41.

In the high school boys' division, Elkhorn Valley earned the team title, scoring 16 points.

North Central finished second, scoring 19 points.

The Bobcats ended in eighth place, with 71 points.

Raden Orton, of North Central, won the race. Orton completed the path in 17:25.43.

Alex Thiele crossed the finish line in the 21st spot, running 21:23.63. Jesse Thiele placed 22nd, with a 21:33.54 time.

Parker Napier ended 35th. He ran 23:38.07.

Aubrey Parker was the lone Bobcat to run in the girls' race, as injuries and illness kept the rest of the team out of competition.

Parker crossed the line in 18th place, running 26:44.45.

North Central edged Elkhorn Valley, 15-17, to claim the conference championship trophy.

Seven junior high girls competed.

LuAnn Schindler | SAM

Cool down • Lisa Schrunk sprays water on Tucker Dougherty as he runs in the junior high boys' cross country race, Friday, at the Niobrara Valley Conference meet in Atkinson. Temperatures hovered in the upper 80s during the meet.

They were led by Irelyn Bearinger. She finished in 17th place, running 8:13.22. Breckyn Bergman ended in 24th, with a time of 8:38.18. Shaylie Kester ran 9:10.42, finising 26th. Ava Cleveland placed 28th, with a time of 9:21.16. Shelby Anderson ran 9:35.42, placing 30th. Katelyn Kester ended in 32nd, running 10:59.08, while Jadyn Hobbs placed 33rd, with a time of 12:14.15.

The junior high girls' team finished fifth. West Holt earned the team title, while Delani Runnels of Niobrara/Verdigre took home the gold medal. She ran 6:40.63.