JEFFERSON – Five runners in the top 20 led the South Hamilton boys’ cross country team to the top of the heap in Class A at yesterday’s Greene County Invitational at Spring Lake Park.

The Hawks put up a team-title total of 65 points – a landslide victory over runner-up Panorama (97). Three ranked teams – Nos. 10 and 15 (Class 2A) Des Moines Christian and Southeast Valley, and No. 15 (1A) Ogden – finished further back in the standings.

“I think the guys were really pumped because there were good teams there,” South Hamilton head coach Darrell Paulsen said. “This is the way they’ve been running in practice.”

Freshmen Gaige Pickering and Logan Peters set the pace. Pickering was the first Hawk to cross in 17:58 to take eighth-place. Peters followed in 12th in 18:12.

Veterans Devon Fisher (18:23), Josiah Brown (18:32) and Drake Thompson (18:38) took 14th, 17th and 19th, respectively.

South Hamilton had a gap of just 40 seconds between its five scoring runners.

“They ran really well,” Paulsen said.

The Hawk girls’ team finished seventh overall. Katie Austin (24:01), Hayley Bell (24:13), Emily Willadson (26:34), Annie Johnson (27:26) and Ella Carlson (28:55) were the scoring runners.

Girls’ individual places weren’t known as of press time.

“I thought the girls ran well too,” Paulsen said. “They’ve been practicing really hard and their times have improved.”