Southern McLean competes against stacked field at Border Battle
The Southern McLean Roughriders cross country team tested themselves against one of the region’s largest and most competitive meets Sept. 27, as they traveled to Grand Forks for the annual Border Battle at Lincoln Drive Park.
With hundreds of runners the event provided a midseason measuring stick for athletes of all ages.
Southern McLean’s day began with the eighth grade boys’ 3,000-meter race, where 143 runners took to the course.
Southern McLean’s lone entry, Peyton Auer, worked his way through the crowded field and finished in 103rd place, crossing the line in 13 minutes, 52 seconds.
The race was dominated by Bismarck Century, who finished with a nearly perfect team score of 11.
In the boys’ varsity “A” division, the Roughriders showcased a strong quartet led by freshman Daniel Neumiller.
Neumiller continued to impress in his debut high school season, breaking into the top 30 of the 303-runner field.
His time of 17:36.4 placed him 29th overall, a remarkable effort given the depth of competition.
Sophomore Easton Kugler and senior Beckett Kadrmas provided solid support, finishing just one spot apart in 63rd and 64th with times of 18:31.4 and 18:32.8 respectively.