A change in the AC/GC Cross Country Invitational date opened the way for a new season-opening race this fall for the Panorama Panther cross country teams. The Panthers had started the last four race seasons in Guthrie Center, but this year saw AC/GC push their annual cross country meet from the fourth Thursday in August to the third Thursday in September. Panorama head cross country coach Greg Thompson said that gave the Panthers the option of returning to the Gilbert Cross Country Invitational in Ames, a meet the Panthers competed in five seasons ago. Thompson shared with Raccoon Valley Radio on this week’s Wahl McAtee Tire and Service Center Guthrie County PM Sports Page that the meet is held on the Iowa State University Cross Country Course and the route should benefit both runners and fans alike. “They’ve remapped the course from the picture they’ve sent me,” Thompson said, “I think it’s going to make it a little bit easier for the spectators to watch, a little bit easier on the kids (running the race), easier for the coaches to keep track of where we are time-wise.”

The two class meet features runners from 27 high schools across Iowa. Area opponents include AC/GC, Boone, Coon Rapids-Bayard, Earlham, Greene County, Kuemper Catholic, Madrid, Ogden, and Van Meter. The first races of the Gilbert Cross Country Invitational begin at 4:45 p.m. today at the Iowa State University Cross Country Course in Ames.