Jay Co. boys finish ninth

MUNCIE — The Jay County High School boys cross country team placed ninth Saturday in the Delta Invitational at Muncie SportsPlex.
Greenfield Central won the team title with 43 points, followed by New Castle (72) and Franklin Central (81). The Patriots totaled 220.
Jay County’s girls did not qualify for a team score.
Skyler Myers was the top finisher for the JCHS boys. He placed 33rd with a time of 18 minutes, 24 seconds. Alex LeMaster was eight seconds behind in 36th, and Tayler Smeltzer placed 47th in 19:37.
Mason Winner finished 51st in 19:53, and Ben Strausburg was 53rd in 20:16 to complete the Patriots’ team score.
Erika Kunkler led Jay County’s girls, crossing the finish line in 22:51 for 22nd. Her cousins, sisters Gabby Kunkler and Vivienne Kunkler, were 37th in 24:09 and 53rd in 28:54 respectively. Catherine Stafford was 58th with a time of 31:05.
Candler Hedges (64th – 21:47) and Nathanael Day (66th – 22:04) also ran for the Patriot boys.

Strong showing
MUNICE — Jay County had a strong showing in the top 10 of the middle school girls cross country race Saturday at the Delta Invitational at Muncie SportsPlex.
West Jay eighth grader Sophia Fugiett set a new course record, and East Jay had four of its runners place in the top 10 to win the team title.
East Jay totaled 34 points. Delta was second with 79 and Daleville placed third with 134. West Jay scored 160 for seventh.
Fugiett finished with a time of 12 minutes, 4.6 seconds, 12 seconds ahead of runner up Miranda Alig of East Jay.
Also placing in the top 10 for East Jay were Mara Bader (fifth), Lydia Keihn (sixth) and Lindy Wood (ninth). Olivia Waters placed 12 to complete the team scoring for the Chiefs.
West Jay’s Raven Weaver was 11th, Aubri Hatzell placed 33rd, Grace Shimp ended in 47th and Sam Dornberger was 84th.
Chiefs third
MUNCIE — The East Jay boys cross country team finished third Saturday in the Delta Invitational at Muncie SportsPlex.
Host Delta won with a score of 43, followed by Selma (72) and East Jay (90). West Jay scored 208 for eighth.
Mitchell Winner (11 minutes, 12.4 seconds) and Xavier Myers were fourth and fifth respectively for the East Jay Chiefs. Flint Schmiesing placed 22nd, and Dustin Harris was 24th. Al Hemmelgarn was the No. 5 runner for East Jay in 37th.
Aaron Funkhouser was the top runner for the West Jay Eagles as he placed 19th. Gage Baker (29th), Trenton Alexander (35th), Skyler Bee (89th) and Kaleb Weaver (118th) also scored for the Eagles.
Chief seventh tie
MUNCIE — East Jay’s seventh grade football team played to a 28-28 tie Saturday with the host Delta Eagles.
The EJMS eighth graders lost, 42-16.
Taron Bentz had 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lead the seventh grade Chiefs (2-3-1). He also had a pair of two-point conversions.
Dawson Hundley had two catches for 55 yards and a touchdown, and Dylan Knapschafer hauled in two passes for 80 yards and a score.
Darius Esparza and Gavin Myers both threw touchdown passes.
For the East Jay eighth graders (3-3), Bailey Cox had two rushing touchdowns, and Landon Grimes took in the two-point conversion twice.