Posted on

XC runners to vie for state berths on Thursday

Press photo by John Burbridge Charles City freshman Kiki Connell, left, and junior Whitney Martin compete in last week’s rainswept Northeast Iowa Conference Meet while helping the Comet girls place second. Last year, the Comet girls also placed second at conference before winning the state-qualifying meet and placing third at state.
Press photo by John Burbridge
Charles City freshman Kiki Connell, left, and junior Whitney Martin compete in last week’s rainswept Northeast Iowa Conference Meet while helping the Comet girls place second. Last year, the Comet girls also placed second at conference before winning the state-qualifying meet and placing third at state.

Staff Report

For some cross country runners who have been to state before, the state qualifying meet is far more stressful.

Thus, this Thursday is going to be a stress test for high school runners and teams.

For the Charles City Comets boys and girls cross country teams, their Class 3A qualifying meets will hosted by West Delaware at Hart Ridge Golf Course, 1647 195th St., Manchester.

The girls “regional” 5K race will begin at 4 p.m.; the boys “district” race will be at 4:30 p.m.

(The differential terms are due to Iowa boys and girls prep athletes competing under the realms of different organizations … and for the sake of confusion.)

Comet senior Gavin Connell will by vying for his fourth state appearance. During last week’s wet and windy Northeast Iowa Conference Meet in Waukon, Connell placed fourth while helping the Comet boys place third as a team.

Connell’s younger sister, freshman Kiki Connell, placed third in the NEIC varsity girls race and helped the Comets take second to Decorah as a team.

Decorah also won last year’s NEIC girls title, but was upset by Charles City in the subsequent state-qualifier as the Comets placed first.

Charles City girls later placed third in Class 3A at the State Cross Country Meet, the best-ever placing for a Comet girls XC team.

In addition to newcomer Connell, Charles City has junior Whitney Martin, sophomore Mackenzy Bilharz and senior Mariah McKenzie back from last year’s state meet lineup. Martin and Bilharz recently earned all-conference at Waukon, as well as Adison Olson and Libby McKeag for Charles City.

Nashua-Plainfield, North Butler and Rockford will compete in the Class 1A state-qualifier at Eagle Grove Country Club, 127 270th St., Eagle Grove.

Rockford senior Sheridan LaCoste will be going for her second regional title. LaCoste was the Class 1A girls runner-up at last year’s state meet.

LaCoste recently won her first Top of Iowa Conference overall varsity girls title last week.

At the same meet, Nashua-Plainfield senior Brock Dietz placed fourth overall among varsity boys and first in the TOIC East Division. Last season, Dietz just missed qualifying for the state meet.

Social Share

LATEST NEWS