Richardson, Handorf lead short-handed Bolts at Clarke

OSCEOLA — Matt Richardson and Max Handorf both finished in the top five of the boys’ 5K race at the Clarke Cross Country Invitational on Monday.

But missing two varsity scorers from their roster was too much for the Class 1A No. 17 Bolts to overcome. But Baxter still finished third in the nine-team field.

The Baxter girls also were without top runner Makayla True, which left only Zoey Gliem running around the 5K course during the varsity girls’ race.

Richardson, who is ranked 13th in 1A, won the boys’ race in 17 minutes, 17.9 seconds and Handorf was the runner-up in 17:56.2. He’s currently ranked 23rd.

Maddox Peters (19:30.6) finished 14th and Dakota Parker (20:09.3) was 22nd, while Parker Bonney (26:22.3) was a scoring runner for the first time in 78th.

The Bolts did not have No. 3 runner Brecken Fisher (injury) or No. 5 runner Logan Rainsbarger (illness) and True missed the meet due to illness, too, according to Baxter head cross country coach Dennis Vaughn.

Class 2A No. 20 Lucas Anderson of Chariton was the boys’ runner-up in 17:31.

Class 2A No. 2 Chariton won the team title with 25 points. The Chargers placed their five scoring runners in the top eight.

Van Meter was next with 76 points followed by Baxter (92), Interstate 35 (109) and Martensdale-St. Marys (131) in the top five. Host Clarke (152), Creston (182), Southwest Valley (213) and Southeast Warren (224) completed the nine-team field.

Class 2A No. 1 Van Meter won the girls’ team title with 26 points. Class 1A No. 5 Martensdale-St. Marys (58) finished second with Creston (64), Interstate 35 (73) and Chariton (151) finalizing the field.

Baxter’s Gliem was 22nd in the girls’ 5K race with a time of 24:25.5.

Class 2A No. 2 Laura Streck of Van Meter won the girls’ race in 19:29.6. Class 2A No. 7 Emma McCoy of Van Meter was the runner-up in 20:22.