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Comets to be well fed before State XC Championships

Press photo by John Burbridge From left, Kiki Connell, Lydia Staudt and Whitney Martin celebrate after helping the Comets place second at last week’s state qualifier while punching their ticket to Saturday's State XC Championships.
Press photo by John Burbridge
From left, Kiki Connell, Lydia Staudt and Whitney Martin celebrate after helping the Comets place second at last week’s state qualifier while punching their ticket to Saturday’s State XC Championships.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Good cooks are supposed to keep their recipes secret. But Amanda Rahmiller gives one of hers up too easily.

“It’s just Betty Crocker,” Rahmiller said of her lasagna, which Whitney Martin says is the “best ever.”

“It’s something we look forward to before going to state,” said Martin, who will be making her third-straight trip to the State Cross Country Championships this Saturday at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

“Thursday night pasta dinner at coach Rahmiller’s house,” said Martin, as fellow senior Mariah McKenzie and junior Mackenzy Bilharz will be also making their third-straight trip to Fort Dodge, all as members of Charles City girls qualifying teams.

The run started in 2016 when the Comets placed a program-best third in the Class 3A race followed by a fifth-place showing last season.

“I think another top-five finish is something we can achieve again,” said Rahmiller, who has coached four Comet teams down to state during her six years leading the program.

Last season, Charles City was paced by then freshman Kiki Connell, who placed sixth with a personal-best 5K time of 19 minutes, 4 seconds despite running most of the race without one of her shoes.

Martin was a Top 15 medalist with a personal-best time of 19:23.

“We had four PRs at the meet,” Rahmiller said. “Our girls run well down there.”

McKenzie was among those who recorded her best time at last year’s state meet.

“It’s the excitement of being at state,” McKenzie said. “The pace is much more faster, especially at the start. It forces you to keep up.

“Plus, you’ve got all the spectators down there cheering you on.”

Connell, Martin and freshman Lydia Staudt were all individual medalists at the West Delaware State Qualifier held last Thursday at Hart Ridge Park in Manchester. Bilharz was the Comets’ fourth runner in while placing 19th.

McKenzie didn’t run in the qualifier due to twisting her ankle during a rain-plagued Northeast Iowa Conference Meet held the week before.

“I’ve also been dealing some tendonitis,” said McKenzie, “but I’m feeling better right now. I want to finish with a PR.”

Martin also wants to best what she did last year.

“It’s my last race,” she said. “I want to go all out.”

The lineup Charles City plans to run at state will include Bilharz, Connell, Martin, McKenzie, Staudt, junior Mindi Neve and sophomore Brianna Ross.

Junior Selah Opp and sophomores Libbie McKeag and Adison Olson will be alternates.

“We have a good mix … a fairly young team with experience,” Rahmiller said.

Charles City’s boys team will have one representative — senior Mason Deeter, who will be making his second-straight trip to Fort Dodge.

Last year, Deeter advanced to state after recording a personal-best time of 16:57 with since graduated four-time state qualifier Gavin Connell and Nick Litterer, who all crossed the finish line almost simultaneously at last year’s qualifier. Deeter went on to place in the Top 50 at state with a time of 17:01.

“What I learned from last year is how important it is to be well rested and how busy it is down there,” said Deeter, who is grateful he is not training alone this week.

“The support has been great,” Deeter said of his non-qualifying teammates who have extended their season to run and train with Deeter. “They didn’t have to be here for me.”

Though Deeter will run his last high school cross country race on Saturday, he plans to run some more in college.

“I’m thinking about going to NIACC,” he said. “Gavin (Connell) has been trying to get me to go there.”

The Class 3A girls race will start at 12 p.m.; the Class 3A boys race will start at 12:30 p.m.

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