Top-ranked girls win at Fillmore


Halle Recker helps the Panthers to a first place team finish in the Cascade Invitational Sept. 14 at Fillmore Fairways. (Photos by Pete Temple)

Alex Oswald leads the Panthers in the Cascade Invitational.
CROSS COUNTRY
By: 
Pete Temple
Express Sports Editor

   The state cross country rankings came out last week showing the Monticello girls at #1 in Class 2A, but head coach Dan Sauser made sure to point out that the team isn’t taking that too seriously.

   The Panthers moved up after winning their invitational Sept. 9.

   “It’s just a number,” Sauser said. “It’s fun to look at, but we don’t put our focus on that at all.

   “We beat Mid-Prairie without their number one runner (competing). Until we beat Mid-Prairie with their number one runner, I consider them to be probably the top team in the state. We feel real good about where we’re at, though.”

   The Panthers should feel good, after winning their second meet in a row. Monticello took five of the top 21 individual spots to earn the championship in the Cascade Invitational Sept. 14 at Fillmore Fairways.

   Monticello’s boys, missing two of their top seven runners, nonetheless took eighth place among 15 teams at Fillmore.

   In the girls’ race, Monticello scored 73 to edge Tipton by eight points in the 11-team field.

   “We didn’t have our best race,” Sauser said. “We went in there a little bit leg-tired. We worked real hard last week.

   “But we’re still very pleased. I think the kids competed well. It was a loaded field again.”

   Leah Koehler led the Panthers with a ninth-place finish.

   “Leah has been rock-solid for us,” the coach said. “Our top five did they damage they needed to do to win it, so we’re real pleased.”

   Marisa Kehoe was just nine seconds behind Koehler in 11th place. Peyton Ries was 16th, Ava Capron finished 17th, and Halle Recker was 21st.

   The boys were led by Alex Oswald, who was 16th. Mace Schnoor was 34th, Rylan Bertling took 44th, Alan Arriaga-Rangel finished 56th, and Royce Kiburz was 80th.

   Missing were Aiden Althoff and Brennan Bohlken from the varsity team.

   “We held out a couple of guys for precautionary (reasons),” Sauser said. “We just didn’t want to run them on those hills.

   “I thought the guys didn’t have the best start to the race, but did progress as the meet unfolded.

   “Alex Oswald had an outstanding race. He’s come along really nicely in the last couple of meets. And the other guys just continue to develop. I think the boys are headed in the right direction.”

Anamosa next

   Next up for the Panthers is the Anamosa Invitational Sept. 23 at Anamosa Middle School. Race times are 9 a.m. for middle school girls, 9:20 a.m. for middle school boys, 9:40 a.m. for JV girls, 10:05 a.m. for JV boys, 10:30 a.m. for varsity girls, and 10:55 a.m. for varsity boys.

  

Sept. 14

Cascade Inv.

(at Fillmore Fairways)

VARSITY BOYS TEAM SCORES

     1, Central DeWitt 46; 2 Jesup 105; 3, Tipton 128; 4, Iowa City Regina 135; 5, Dubuque Wahlert 168; 6, Dyersville Beckman 186; 7, Benton Community 195; 8, Monticello 209; 9, Maquoketa Valley 212; 10, Anamosa 270; 11, Calamus-Wheatland 289; 12, Maquoketa 297*; 13, Cascade 297; 14, Clinton Prince of Peace 346; 15, Durant 374.

* – earned spot with sixth runner tie-breaker rule

MONTICELLO RESULTS

     16, Alex Oswald, 18:24.1; 34, Mace Schnoor, 19:16.6; 44, Rylan Bertling, 19:37.7; 56, Alan Arriaga-Rangel 20:12.1; 80, Royce Kiburz, 21:21.8; 104, Grant Gassman, 22:10.8; 107, Nicholas Schrader, 22:13.6; 129, Emmit Rickels, 24:09.3; 145, Brandon Kunde, 25:32.5; 147, Ben Welter, 25:35.8; 149, Gabe Kraus, 25:48.6.

VARSITY GIRLS TEAM SCORES

     1, Monticello 73; 2, Tipton 81; 3, Dyersville Beckman 92; 4, Iowa City Regina 126; 5, Jesup 131; 6, Dubuque Wahlert 136; 7, Benton Community 179; 8, Cascade 187; 9, Maquoketa 242; 10, Maquoketa Valley 245; 11, Durant 307.

MONTICELLO RESULTS

     9, Leah Koehler, 21:30.6; 11, Marisa Kehoe, 21:39.6; 16, Peyton Ries, 22:02.2; 17, Ava Capron, 22:13.1; 21, Halle Recker, 22:31.5; 34, Emmy Verhagen, 23:44.6; 40, Kaitlin Kunde, 24:23.7; 50, Bri Kearney, 25:08.3; 56, Katie Stadtmueller, 25:43.8; 57, Leah Schemmel, 25:48.1; 124, Skylar Christensen, 34:18.0.

 

 

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