The A/W Titans get set to start the 5k race at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island. (Photos courtesy of Creston Fenn)

The A/W Titans and Ridgewood Spartans competed in the third annual Illinois-Iowa Border Wars Cross Country Invite Saturday at Saukie Golf Course in Rock Island. 

In the girls 5K race, Ridgewood’s Emily Downing and A/W’s Kennady Anderson topped the field of 72 runners. Downing claimed top honors with a time of 18:32.0 and Anderson was the runner-up in 18:49.6. 

Kennady Anderson runs in pursuit of Ridgewood’s Emily Downing.

Also finishing in the top five was Ridgewood’s Jana VandeKemp. She crossed the finish in fourth place in a time of 20:00.1. 

The Rock Island girls won the eight-team event with a low of 51 points. Ridgewood was fourth with 99 and A/W scored 153 for seventh place. 

Rounding out the field for Ridgewood were Miranda Reed (12) at 21:24.5; Kira Messerly (42) 25:17.3; Emma Poppy (55) 27:07.3; and Olivia William (60) 27:39.2.

Also running for the Titans were Paige Sirens (17) 21:59.3; Zoey Vance (44) 26:14; Ellie Merrick (56) 27:12.2; Makenna Verkruyse (64) 29:07.5; and Ella Anderson (72) 35:23.8.

Karson Shrum races to the front of the pack. 

Rock Island ‘s Gabe Mahn topped the field of 98 runners in the boys 5K race in a time of 16:03.9. A/W’s Karson Shrum placed fifth in 16:37.8 and Ridgewood’s Fernando Avila-Rubio was ninth with a time of 17:11.9. 

Also running for A/W were Noah Feltner (31) 18:44.0; Cash Verstraete (35) 19:08.6; Logan Davis (40) 19:37.5; Matthew Ponce (56) 20:55.1; Daylon Hendrix (70) 22:10.1; Nathan Vancleve (85) 25:43.8; and Alex Holt (96) 31:01.8.

Also competing for Ridgewood were Dawson Medley (51) 20:41.5; Taber Swanson (63) 21:26.2; Ryker Burbridge (76) 22:57.8; Evan Akers (83) 25:32.4; Ryan Watt (86) 25:55.0; Tucker Taber (89) 26:03.2; Gavin Lindsey (93) 27:57.9.