Keota junior Turner Klein (purple) closes in on the finish line during this week’s IMS Early Bird Invitational. Photo by KCII Sports Zach Ulin.

Area cross country teams descended on the Iowa Mennonite School campus this week for the IMS Early Bird Invitational. In the boys’ race, the best KCII-area finish came from Keota junior Turner Klein.

Klein was the area’s lone top 10 finisher, completing the race in 10th place with a time of 18:42.57. His average mile time during the race was clocked at 6:01.4. He was one of five area athletes to win a medal in the boys’ race, which were given to the top 20 finishers. Other area top 20 finishers included Washington junior Brennan Horak (13th; 19:24.33), W-MU senior Gavin Bencze (15th; 19:39.7), Iowa Mennonite School junior Levi Geyer (17th; 19:50.7), and Washington senior Owen Horak (18th; 19:54.7).

The Eagle cross country teams will host the Keota Cross Country Invite this Tuesday at the Lagos Acres Golf Course. The meet will feature runners from BGM, Columbus, English Valleys, Highland, HLV, Lone Tree, Louisa-Muscatine, North Mahaska, Sigourney, and WACO.