The ACGC cross country team will officially open up practice on Monday. The Chargers already enter their third year of the program with plenty of experience. The boys team has qualified for the Class 1A State Meet the first two years, while the girls team earned a 3rd place finish in 2016. Individually the Charger cross country program has recorded three top ten finishes with Kate Crawford (1st-2016, 3rd-2017) and Emma Swanson (4th-2016).

Crawford will return for her junior season in the gold and black to lead the way for the Chargers. Lauryn Embleton, who finished 41st in Fort Dodge last fall, will also return for her senior season at ACGC. On the boys side, the tandem of incoming seniors Noah Nelsen and Clay Billheimer will lead the charge this fall. Nelsen finished in 12th place at the state meet in October while Billheimer came across the line in 65th position. Junior Ben Young and Senior Easton Benson were also on the ACGC team that finished 8th at State. That group of seven did lose three to graduation, including Garrett Young, Carter Schildberg, and Quenton Spack.

The first meet for the ACGC cross country teams is on Thursday, August 23rd at the Iowa State University Cross Country Course in Ames. The field features athletes from 24 schools, including Greene County and Panorama.