Ethan Follmann won the individual Conference Cross Country title at Woodbine on Monday, October 6th, and the girls’ team got second place, losing by one point to Exira-EHK. Cadence Stephenson lead the girls with a 4th place finish (24:19). Emily Plagman (24:34) came in 6th, and Whitney Holaday (11th), Jade Jackson (14th), Abby Follmann (22nd), Taissiya Lyu (27th), and Carlee South (28th) finished off for the girls. Ethan Follmann won Conference with an 18:37 race. Michael Hill (15th), Walker Gettler (20th), Cale Maas (21st), Carson Cary (22nd), and Wyatt Gettler (26th) also ran for the Cougars.

The CAM Cross Country team ran in Orient on Monday, September 30th. The guys’ team finished 5th, but the girls did not have enough runners on Monday to compete as a team. Ethan Follmann lead the Cougars in 9th place with a 20:25 run. Walker Gettler finished next in 31st, with Cale Maas (33rd), Carson Cary (34th), Wyatt Gettler (36th) rounding off the guys’ team. Cadence Stephenson ran 28:15 (18th) and Whitney Holaday ran 28:54 (22nd), with Carlee South finishing in 37th place. Although it was very muddy, the team still finished strong. Good job boys and girls!

The CAM Cross Country team ran two 5K’s within 48 hours this week. On Tuesday, September 24, the team participated in Creston. The girls’ team placed 4th with Whitney Holaday (18th), Cadence Stephenson (19th), and Emily Plagman (20th) finishing within 8 seconds of each other. Jade Jackson (30th), Taissiya Lyu (32nd), and Carlee South (38th) finished next. For the guys, Ethan Follmann (15th), Michael Hill (28th), Walker Gettler (30th), Cale Maas (34th), Carson Cary (35th), and Wyatt Gettler (43rd) ran many personal bests for the year to earn a 5th place team position. On Thursday, September 26th, the team ran again at Guthrie Center. The CAM girls came in 4th with Whitney Holaday (9th), Emily Plagman (18th), Cadence Stephenson (20th), Abby Follmann (28th), and Carlee South (32nd). Ethan Follmann ran a 19:16 race which earned him 4th place and prevented the AC/GC boys from finishing with a perfect team score. Michael Hill (26th) finished next, with Walker Gettler (27th), Cale Maas (29th), Carson Cary (31st), and Wyatt Gettler (46th) rounding off for the CAM guys’ team.

The CAM girls and guys earned three top 15 finishes on Monday, September 16, in Red Oak. Emily Plagman finished in 9th for the girls, with a time of 26:03, and Cadence Stephenson (27:01) finished close behind in 13th. Placing in 7th with a time of 19:47 for the guys was Ethan Follmann. Finishing next for the CAM guys were Michael Hill (32nd), Walker Gettler (35th), and Carson Cary (36th). Tuesday, September 17, the High School and Jr. High CAM Cross Country team ran the game ball from the elementary and middle school in Massena to Anita. The team ran in 1.5-2.3 mile shifts going north on Highway 148 with help from parents and community members. Before going into the school to enjoy a team meal, they presented the game ball to Coach Wollum and the football team.

On Monday, September 12th, the cross country team ran in Coon Rapids. The meet was a little different than usual. Instead of a usual 5K (3.1 miles), the race was closer to 3.5 miles. Whitney Holaday summed the race up, “It was unexpected but we did our best.” Ethan Follmann led the guys with a fourth-place finish. Next came Michael Hill (12th), then Cale Maas (13th), Carson Cary (15th), and Walker Gettler (19th). Whitney Holaday finished first for the CAM girls in 11th place, with Emily Plagman (12th), Cadence Stephenson (15th), Abby Follmann (26th), and Carlee South (27th). The CAM girls finished third with 69 points, and the boys finished second with 50 points.

The CAM Cougar Cross Country team kicked off the season in Treynor on the evening of September 3rd. The girl’s team finished third, and the boy’s team finished fourth. Cadence Stephenson ran a 26:19 race, earning her a sixth place position, as Emily Plagman (26:41) finished in 8th and Whitney Holaday (26:50) finished in 9th. Other finishers include Abigail Follmann (21st), Carlee South (25th), and Taissiya Lyu (27th). The boys team had a strong finish as well, with Ethan Follmann (19:28) leading the team in a 5th place finish. The team included Michael Hill (20th), Walker Gettler (22nd), Carson Cary (31st), and Cale Maas (36th).

On Thursday, August 29th, the CAM Cross Country team ran a scrimmage in Anita. Eleven team members participated in the 5K race after school, and seven of them were returning athletes. Many of their times were improved from last year, but it was also a new experience for some. “I just felt like running,” explains Wyatt Gettler, one of the newest runners for the team. Coach Todd Russell commented, “I was very happy that a lot of parents were cheering and watch the scrimmage! The kids did their best that day! It was hot and humid today. The team is practicing well every day.” The team will have their first official meet on September 3rd, at Treynor.