The Ridge and Valley Conference recognized its top runners that competed at October’s conference meet in De Soto with all-conference honors. The girls side was led by a pair of honors for the champion River Ridge Timberwolves. Named the Ridge and Valley Conference Runner of the Year was sophomore foreign exchange student Alix Van Butsele, who also earned a spot on the girls first team all-conference team.

Area girls that earned first team recognition also included River Ridge junior Leah Patterson, ninth grader Lindsay Burmeister, junior McKenzie Taylor and Wauzeka-Steuben senior Natalie Wright.

Second team honors went to Hornet seniors Emma Udelhoven, Isabella Bunders and Leah Peralta and sophomores Alayna Martin and Stella Walz. 

The sportsmanship team included Bunders of Wauzeka-Steuben and River Ridge’s Chloe West.

On the boys side, Hornets junior Nolan Reed-Mullikin earned a spot on the first team while the sportsmanship team included River Ridge senior Mason Pecinovsky and Wauzeka-Steuben senior Theo Millin.

River Ridge head coach Shane Sperle was named the Girls Coach of the Year by the conference after his girls team won the program’s first ever conference championship since the program was started in 2017.