Here’s the Kicker

Vikings edge Comets for girls varsity title; MS boys champs inspire CC varsity medalist

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

OELWEIN — Nothing gets Gavin Connell going more than a Go-Hawk.

Especially one that unexpectedly gets in front of him during a conference meet.

“I actually came here expecting to place maybe in the top six or top seven,” the Charles City junior said of his expectations at the Northeast Iowa Conference Cross Country Championship Meet held Tuesday at Hickory Grove Golf Course.

“At the start of the race, I saw two guys from Decorah jump out in front with two guys from Waukon,” Connell said. “But then a guy from Waverly-Shell Rock (Sam Kepford) slips in front of me.

“There was no way I was not going to catch him.”

Connell eventually did catch Kepford at the three-mile mark of the 5K race, and placed fifth with a time of 16 minutes, 57 seconds, again, just missing his personal-best of 16:54.

Connell ran a 16:55 in his previous meet.

As for the aforementioned Decorah runners — sophomore Gus Hayes and junior Andrew Kephart — they placed one-two, respectively, with times of 16:16 and 16:35. Waukon seniors Tyler O’Neill (16:47, 3rd) and Austin Day (16:49, 4th) were the other two runners ahead of Connell.

Kepford ended up placing eight (17:11), and Comet sophomore Mason Deeter earned medalist all-conference honors with a 15th-place time of 17:24.

As a team Decorah placed first (29 team points) well ahead of runner-up Waverly-Shell Rock (81) with Waukon (86), Crestwood (94), Charles City (99) and New Hampton (121) rounding out the full-team field.

In addition to being inspired by Kepford’s challenge, Connell was moved by the enthusiastic encouragement from the Charles City Middle School boys team, which earlier had dominated its 2-mile conference race by placing seven runners in the top 11 with Antwone Cooper leading the pack with a first-place time of 11:11.

“They just got done winning, and they were out there — some sitting on their teammates’ shoulders — cheering us on,” said Connell, whose younger sister — Kiki Connell — won the middle school girls race by 47 seconds to lead the third-place Comets.

“They just helped give me that extra kick to finish the race,” Connell said.

In the girls varsity race, Charles City gave serious chase in trying to dethrone perennial conference champion Decorah, but came up six team points short — 34-40.

Comet senior McKayla Cole ran a personal-best 18:40, which was good enough for second place behind Crestwood phenom Ellie Friesen (18:14) and ahead of Decorah’s Katie Nimrod (18:53, 3rd), who led the three-woman pack for most of the race before Cole and Friesen made it a two-person race in the final mile.

“All our top placers ran personal-best and left everything on the course,” Charles City girls coach Amanda Rahmiller said. “They ran with a lot of heart, and I don’t think I would have changed a thing going into this race.”

Sophomore Whitney Martin placed fifth (19:38), and freshman Mackenzy Bilharz placed eighth (20:13) as she managed to edge Decorah freshman Shayla Betts down the homestretch in a meet at that time was still too close to call.

Other medalist for Charles City included seniors Sarah Turpen (20:34, 12th) and Bailey Mitchell (20:36, 13th). Senior Alysha Bilharz placed 16th (20:58).

“For Sarah, that’s her fourth all-conference medal,” Rahmiller said. “There’s not too many people who are all-conference all four years they’re in high school.”

Including junior varsity, Charles City girls had eight medalists at the conference meet.

Charles City boys had three total, but even those who didn’t medal shaved major seconds off previous personal-bests.

“This is the type of course where you get your personal-bests,” said Comet senior John Perez, who ran a 26th-place time of 18:13, bettering his previous mark by 24 seconds.

“I came in wanting to get under 18 minutes for the first time,” said Comet sophomore Nick Litterer, who placed 21st.

“I don’t know my official time, but I’m pretty sure I did it today.”

He did … Litterer ran a PB 17:56.

“(Litterer) had a huge race for us,” Charles City boys coach Ryan Rahmiller said. “So did Mason (Deeter) in getting that all-conference spot. He’s had some health issues this year, so it was great to see things finally come together for him.”