The Burnsville cross country teams came up just short of sweeping the top four positions at its own invite Sept. 20 at Nicollet Junior High School.

The Burnsville boys easily won the team title with 37 points, well ahead of runner-up Mahtomedi (76). Minnetonka was third (81), followed by Irondale (82), South St. Paul (113), St. Anthony Village (128), Richfield (193) and Christ Household of Faith (218).

Junior Ali Ahmed won the individual title, finishing with a time of 16:49.0 on the 5,000-meter course.

Meanwhile, junior Vivian Hett won the girls’ 4,000-meter race with a time of 14:42.7, but the Blaze came up short of winning the team title by nine points, falling to Minnetonka (38).

Mahtomedi ended up third in the girls’ standings (56), followed by St. Anthony Village (120), South St. Paul (137) and Visitation (140).

In the boys race, the Blaze had five runners in top 12. Senior Shawn Wong finished fifth overall (17:19.3), followed by junior Johnny Walker in ninth (17:46.2), sophomore Nick Lane in 10th (17:46.4) and ninth-grader Dillon Wong in 12th (18:06.7).

Seniors Eric Bench (29th, 18:49.2) and Jacob Christina (37th, 19:08.2) also competed for the Blaze.

Sophomore Faysal Mahmoud ran the junior varsity race for the Blaze as he works his way back from injury. He won with a time of 17:22.4. Mahmoud was the Blaze’s No. 3 runner last year in the team’s runner-up finish at the Class AA state meet, while Ahmed was No. 4.

In the girls race, Hett blew away the field. Her time was nearly 30 seconds ahead of the runner-up finisher (Presley Norby of Minnetonka).

Seventh-grader Kelly Koch had a strong showing in her first varsity race for the Blaze, finishing fifth overall (16:04.1), while sophomore Jane Koch was seventh (16:13.0) and ninth-grader Johanna Weber was 10th (16:18.2). Eighth-grader Krista Holmstrom was Burnville’s fifth runner taking 24th (17:04.7).

Also competing for the Blaze was senior Kjerstin Narvesen (33rd, 17:44.8) and junior Katie Dennis (37th, 18:07.0).

The Burnsville girls are competing in the Prior Lake Invitational Sept. 27 at Ponds Park at 3:15 p.m. The girls are also set to run the Griak Invitational at the University of Minnesota’s Les Bolstad Golf Course Sept. 29. That’s also the Burnsville boys’ next race.

To see more photos of the Burnsville girls at its own invite, go to Scoreboard’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.494385197253502.111335.197190936972931&type=3.

For more photos of the Blaze boys: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.494396723919016.111342.197190936972931&type=3.