Delta High School's cross country teams competed in the Eagle Invitational held on October 11, 2025,
at Taylor University's Cross Country Course. "The Farm", as the course is called, is Delta's home
course and the team left the meet with significant improvements and standout team performances from
both sides.
To set the tone for the day, the boys delivered an excellent performance. With the team placing 2nd out
of 15 teams, the Delta boys showed how hard work during the season - and previous years! - can pay
off. Junior Peyton Engle was a major contributor of the day, clocking a time of 16:34.4 and placing an
impressive 3rd overall, among 126 competitors. Second for the Eagles was junior Carter Friend in 12th
with a personal record of 17:16.5, dropping 6 seconds off of his previous best, set earlier this season.
Racing him to the line and finishing right behind Friend (and also setting a personal record) was senior
Noah Parrott, dropping 9 seconds to finish 13th in a time of 17:17.9. Running 4th and 5th were junior
Nolan Hutchison in 16th, and senior Cameron Deckman in 23rd, both helping to push the Delta squad
into an outstanding top-five scoring group.
The sixth and seventh positions for the Eagles pushed competing teams' scores higher and contributed
to the team's amazing finish. Freshman Gideon Sherck finished in a time of 19:43.7 - just a few
seconds off his best!, and senior Luke Huston set a new personal record of 20:00.7, shaving 11
seconds off his previous time. Completing the team lineup were sophomores Tyler Hawk and Cameron
Pettiford, running as a duo and pushing each other throughout the race.
As a group, the five scoring positions averaged to be the fastest time Delta has run in a meet in 18
years. Additionally, all returning athletes improved their places compared to last year, with the boys'
team even moving up three spots overall—a clear sign of the team's dedication throughout the past
years and the strides made during the season.
Not to be outdone, the girls' team also emerged with noteworthy results, showing that persistence and
teamwork are paying dividends. Sophomore Everly Carter led the team's 4th place finish with a
season-best time of 21:09.6, finishing 9th out of 85 girls. Freshman Gabby Gruwell (17th) was second
for the squad and dropped a remarkable 29 seconds to finish in a time of 22:27.2, and sophomore Ella
Ewing (25th) came in third and ran a personal best of 23:12.9 - faster than her previous best by an
incredible 45 seconds! Maddie Milner (SO) ran fourth for the team and outkicked two girls ahead of her
to earn the 41st place.
Freshman Chloe Childers, who finished 48th, was the fifth and final scoring position for Delta and also
dropped 10 seconds off of her previous best to finish in 25:19.4. Rounding out the team for the day was
freshman Arionna Segraves who came through the line in 56th place and pushed back other teams'
scores. Just like their counterparts, both the returning girls, Carter and Ewing, also improved their

standings at the meet the previous year's Eagle Invite, in addition to contributing to the upward move of
six team positions.
The event concluded with numerous individual honors, including top-15 ribbons earned by the
standouts, underlining the talent among both squads. The event at The Farm was a day of fierce
competition and inspirational performances. With athletes pushing their limits and recording personal
bests, the Eagle Invitational proved to be an exciting last meet before the Sectional the following
Saturday. The momentum from the athletes' success will undoubtedly fuel the team's eagerness to
compete for and earn qualifying spots to the Regional for individuals and teams. With the teams and
athletes still improving late in the season, the Eagles are poised to be tough competitors at the
Sectional meet on Saturday, October 18th, back at The Farm.