The New Prairie Cougars continued their impressive start to the season with a 3rd place finish at the Prairie Heights Invite. The result marks another strong performance for the team, which is building momentum with each race. The core of the Cougars' success this season has been the consistent performance of their top runners: Evan Wiesemann, Lukas Hannewyk, Aidan Jaronik, and Ayden Carpenter. These four have consistently placed high in races and have shown significant improvement since last season. Aidan Jaronik's time of 17:52.92 at the Prairie Heights Invite was his fastest of the season, a great improvement from his previous race. Lukas Hannewyk and Evan Wiesemann have also performed consistently, with both runners coming within seconds of their best times. This pack mentality at the front of the race has allowed them to push each other to faster times and secure low team scores. The team's 5th, 6th, and 7th runners, also delivered crucial performances. Mitchell Walls (34th, 18:45.90), Isaac True (19:31.88) and Sullivan Young (19:45.31) demonstrated grit and continued improvement. Rounding out the team's strong performance at the Prairie Heights Invite were a group of dedicated athletes who showcased their own progressions. Ryese Lake led this pack, finishing in a strong 20:04.20, followed closely by Evan Thibodeau who completed his solid race in 20:13.66. Chase Shelton broke the 21-minute barrier with a time of 20:58.87, highlighting his contribution to the team's depth. Further down the pack, Ricky Corbett ran a strong race in 21:48.87. Joseph Smith (22:57.04) and Samuel Ringer (23:15.18) both delivered solid performances, while Mason Skoglund demonstrated his determination by finishing in 28:47.25 The Cougars will look to continue their momentum at the Harrison Invitational next Saturday.