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VICKSBURG — Senior Dane Bailey and his Edwardsburg boys’ cross country teammates have high goals as the season enters its final weeks.

Bailey was the overall individual winner in the boys’ 5,000-meter (3.1 mile) race in Tuesday’s Wolverine Conference Tri-Meet hosted by Vicksburg at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp.

Bailey ran a personal-best time of 16:26 to help Edwardsburg win the meet with 28 points. Vicksburg (38) ended up second followed by Sturgis (58).

“As a team, we’re really hoping that we can get third in the region and qualify for state. This season it looks like we might have a chance,” Bailey said. “I’m pretty happy with my time today. It’s the first personal-best time I’ve had since the first meet of the season. It’s also the first race I’ve won all year. It was windy and cool today. Everyone was packed in, but I had the Vicksburg guy to race with so that helped me get a real good time.”

Bailey managed to hold off Vicksburg’s freshman sensation Caiden Caswell who finished second in 16:29.

The Eddies claimed the next two spots in the race with junior Maguire Johnson finishing third (17:14) and sophomore George Schupham was fourth (17:22).

Vicksburg junior Skye Smith rounded out the top five with his time of 17:23.

Junior Nolan Park (7th, 17:59) was Sturgis’ top runner on the day.

Other Eddies who figured in the scoring were junior Jon Leith (8th, 18:04) and sophomore Gavin Ayres (12th, 18:48).

Edwardsburg’s other race finishers included sophomore Jack Bell (13th, 19:10), freshmen Lucas Frentz (22nd, 20:48) and Henry Lace (26th, 21:25), senior Mark Welsch (28th, 23:00) and freshman Mark Bangston (31st, 29:15).

Edwardsburg Boys’ Coach Lito Ramirez is pleased with where his team is following completion of their dual-meet portion of the league season.

“We wrapped up our conference duals with our only losses coming to Otsego and Plainwell. Heading into the conference meet and regionals we wanted to see what we could do out there today,” Ramirez said. “We’re working on peaking a couple more times before regionals which is two weeks away. The kids are working very hard to improve and get their personal bests. Our top five runners have worked very hard. Dane set a high bench mark when the season began. The other four are doing the same and our fifth, sixth and seventh runners are both very close to one another.”

Edwardsburg competes in the Sturgis Kiwanis Invitational on Saturday followed by the Wolverine Conference Meet next Tuesday at Madeline Bertrand Park in Niles and the Division 2 regional meet Saturday, Oct. 28 at Portage West Middle School.

Sturgis sophomore Berkley Holtz captured first in the girls’ race with a time of 19:12.

The Trojans placed their top seven runners among the top 12 finishers in the race and won the meet with 28 points. Vicksburg (48) placed second followed by Edwardsburg (55).

Vicksburg senior Emma Steele placed second in 19:38.

Sturgis claimed the next two places with sophomore Tessa Hatt (3rd, 20:40) and sophomore Sidney Bir (4th, 20:58).

Vicksburg senior Zane Sandelin (5th, 21:18) rounded out the top five finishers.

Edwardsburg had two runners in the Top 10. They included senior Macy Andress (6th, 21:51) and sophomore Piper Bryant (7th, 22:13).

Other scorers for the Lady Eddies were junior Alex Ferguson (11th, 22:49), sophomore Liyah Worthington (12th, 23:34) and junior Mali Szalia (16th, 23:49).

Freshman Annika VanBuren (24th, 25:15) and senior Ava Russell (26th, 25:46).

“Everyone is trying to pick up their times. They have all improved this season and are getting into their strides,” said Edwardsburg Girls’ Coach Sue Conley.