The Ballard men's cross country team faced tough competition at the Raccoon River Conference Meet, held at the challenging Lakeview Golf and Country Club in Winterset.  The Bombers placed 7th overall with a team score of 164, showing grit and determination in a strong field of conference rivals.

Austin Vance led the Bombers, finishing 13th with a time of 17:19.88, setting the pace for the team. Max Davidson followed with a solid performance, finishing 24th with a time of 17:51.64.  Graden Hermann crossed the line in 34th place, clocking in at 18:19.05.

Rounding out Ballard's top five were Owen Davidson, who finished 46th with a time of 19:26.06, and Parker Domino, who finished 47th at 19:37.13.  Isaac Swisher (19:37.54) and Kolbe Odden (20:06.07) also contributed strong efforts, demonstrating the team's depth.

Gilbert dominated the meet, winning the team title with just 19 points, placing five runners in the top seven.  ADM and Bondurant-Farrar rounded out the top three teams.

Up next for the Bombers is the State Qualifying Meet on Wednesday, October 23, at a site to be determined.  The race will begin at 4:00 PM, and the Bombers will look to earn a spot at the state championships.

RACCOON RIVER CONFERENCE MEN'S TEAM SCORES

1. Gilbert, 19

2. ADM, 81

3. Bondurant-Farrar, 95

4. Winterset, 108

5. Carlisle, 109

6. North Polk, 153

7. Ballard, 164

8. Boone, 236

RACCOON RIVER CONFERENCE MEN'S INDIVIDUAL TIMES

13 Austin Vance, 17:19.88

24 Max Davidson, 17:51.64

34 Graden Hermann, 18:19.05

46 Owen Davidson, 19:26.06

47 Parker Domino, 19:37.13

48 Isaac Swisher, 19:37.54

52 Kolbe Odden, 20:06.07