Madisyn Blair and Mackenzie Greenslade finished first and second in the I-8 Conference Middle School Cross Country meet at Hastings on Thursday, leading Western to a first place team finish.  Blair, an eighth grader, ran a time of 12:38.4 and Greenslade, a sixth grader, ran a 13:12.7.

Alivia Stahley (7th grade, 14:12.6), Ella Hammond (8th grade, 14:13.8) and Katelee Carothers (7th grade, 14:23.9) finished in 4th, 5th and 6th place to complete the scoring for the Lady Panthers.  Western ended with 21 team points, their best performance of the season.

Sixth graders Laila Rotich (14:24.4, 8th place), Alivia Pluta (15:07.6, 19th) and Adalynn Newton (15:16.8, 24th) all cracked the top 25 for Western.

Phoebe Gin (8th grade, 15:33.5) and Phoebe Miller (7th grade, 16:54.2) finished 30th and 53rd.

Other finishers for Western, all sixth graders, included Morgan Brandt (15:44.4, 32nd place), Brooke Ennis (15:59.4, 38th), Alexys Blair (16:15.5, 42nd), Jules Smith (16:22.9, 46th), Emma Decker (17:18.6, 61st), Tessa Wyman (17:37.3, 68th), Adelyn Breneman  (18:00.4, 76th), Ava Dawson (18:35.8, 87th) and Laynie Sawyer (22:57.9, 109th).

The Lady Panthers finish their season on Saturday at the Regional meet at Hudson.