Charles City places 10th in boys HS varsity race at All-American XC Invitational

Press Staff Report

DECORAH — If there ever were a cross country course where you can run during a rain shower and not get that wet, it would the Luther College XC course.

Much of it is covered by cavernous canopies of overhanging trees.

It’s also a course where personal records go to get set as its hills — downgraded at the end of the trek — tend to propel runners toward the finish line.

The competition at the annual All-American XC Invitational held on Saturday also helps set the pace as top prep/college runners from a quad-state area converge on the event hosted by the Decorah college.

In the boys high school varsity 5K, Charles City — recently ranked No. 16 in Class 3A by the Iowa Assocation of Track Coaches — placed 10th in a field of nearly 30 teams.

Senior Jacob Vais led the Comets with a 29th-place finish and a season-best time of 17 minutes, 53 seconds.

Rounding out the top five for Charles City were freshman Xander Graeser (42nd, 18:09), sophomore Isaac Thompson (65th, 18:39), freshman Nick Williams (68th, 18:43 PR) and senior Jared Johnson (72nd, 18:59).

Manny Putz, a freshman from Onalaska (Wisconsin), won the varsity boys race with a PR time of 16:09 while helping his team win the title.

In the girls varsity race, Charles City placed 20th while being led by senior Lydia Staudt (70th, 22:04), sophomore Lauren Staudt (104th, 23:03.91), junior Olivia Litterer (105th, 23:03.99), junior Harper McInroy (109th, 23:10), and junior Natalie White (152nd, 24:27).

Zoie Dundon of Burnsville (Minnesota) won the girls varsity race with a PR time of 18:37.

Dubuque Hempstead was the girls varsity team champs.

In the boys junior varsity race, Charles City placed sixth while being paced by sophomore Lucas Vance’s PR 22nd-place time of 19:32.

Charles City placed 17th in the girls junior varsity race.