Comet senior Nick Williams sets PR with runner-up finish at Bob Scott Memorial XC Invitational

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

WEST UNION — A week after winning his team’s season-opener, the annual Trent Smith Memorial Invitational at his team’s home course at Wildwood Golf Course, Charles City senior Nick Williams bested his previous personal-record by more than 2 seconds with a second-place 5K time of 16 minutes, 36 seconds at the Bob Scott Memorial Invitational, Thursday at North Fayette Valley High School.

Oelwein senior Conall Sauser finished 4 seconds earlier (16:32) to pace the field of more than 120 course-completing runners while leading the Huskies, who paced the field of 10 teams with a low score of 32.

Comet senior Xander Graeser, who — like Williams — is a three-time state XC qualifier, also improved his time from last week’s opener with a fifth-place showing (17:38).

The Comets got an inspired effort from junior Jackson Kowalski, who was able to best Jesup junior Will Nesbit during a mad dash along the homestretch to seize 11th place by a split second (18:49.22 to 18:49.76). With Oelwein already having four runners in through the top eight and a fifth runner close behind Kowalski and Nesbit, it seemed as if Kowalski’s effort may help win the race for second place for the Comets.

But Jesup was able to get all five or its top finishers in the top 17 to earn second place with 55 team points — 4 ahead of the third-place placing Comets, who rounded out their top five with senior Carter Haberkorn (15th, 18:57) and senior Jordin Ritter (26th, 20:08).

In the previous Girls Varsity 5K, Jesup senior Mackenzie Wilson paced the field with a first-place time of 19:37.

Sumner-Fredericksburg placed first in team standings with a low score of 49.

Charles City sophomore Megan Babcock was the first one through the finish chute for the Comets with a 62nd-place time of 26:18.

The Comet girls placed 12th amid the 12-team field.

Bob Scott Memorial Invitational

Sept. 12

AT NORTH FAYETTE VALLEY

Varsity Boys 5K

TEAM STANDINGS — 1. Oelwein 32, 2. Jesup 55, 3. Charles City 59, 4. Sumner-Fredericksburg 105, 5. Central Elkader 121, 6. Dike-New Hartford 167, 7. North Fayette Valley 199, 8. Osage 223, 9. Clayton Ridge Guttenberg 254, 10. Saint Ansgar 279.

TOP 20 FINISHERS — 1. Conall Sauser (O) 16:32, 2. Nick Williams (CC) 16:36.74, 3. Karsten Nuering (J) 17:22, 4. Caleb Schunk (O) 17:30, 5. Xander Graeser (CC) 17:38, 6. Keshaun Williams (O) 17:39, 7. Nathan Pint (J) 17:42.71, 8. Gabe Driscoll (O) 18:21, 9. Gavin Holst (CE) 18:26, 10. Tate Rochford (SF) 18:42, 11. Jackson Kowalski (CC) 18:49.22, 12. Will Nesbit (J) 18:49.76, 13. Caleb Detemmerman (O) 18:53, 14. Carson Ruegnitz (CE) 18:54, 15. Carter Haberkorn (CC) 18:57, 16. Jaxon Andreasen (J) 18:58, 17. Vince O’Connor (J) 19:02, 18. Hayden Benton (J) 19:16, 19. Gabe Stansbery (NFV) 19:39, 20. Sam Egan (SF) 19:40.

CHARLES CITY TOP 5 — 2. Williams, 5. Graeser, 11. Kowalski, 15. Haberkorn, 26. Jordan Ritter 20:08.

Varsity Girls 5K

TEAM STANDINGS — 1. Sumner-Fredericksburg 49, 2. Waukon 63, 3. Jesup 96, 4. Osage 107, 5. North Fayette Valley 137, 6. MFL MarMac 149, 7. Saint Ansgar 154, 8. Dike-New Hartford 186, 9. Oelwein 249, 10. Central Elkader 262, 11. Clayton Ridge Guttenberg 322, 12. Charles City 345.

TOP 20 FINISHERS — 1. Mackenzie Wilson (J) 19:37, 2. Scarlett Byrnes (O) 20:18, 3. Rylee Shonka (SF) 21:12, 4. Ashlynn Sauser (O) 21:20, 5. Lila Powers (SA) 21:49, 6. Reegan Benzing (W) 21:52, 7. Kendall Suckow (SF) 21:53, 8. Jaci Snyder (SF) 22:12, 9. Jordyn Bergman (J) 22:14, 10. Miriam Downing (W) 22:21.44, 11. Emma O’Neill (W) 22:21.63, 12. Elle Wilkins (W) 22:28, 13. Kendall Power (O) 22:45, 14. Annie Murray (NFV) 22:51, 15. Cami Judisch (SF) 22:56, 16. Ella Pitz (SF) 22:57, 17. Maia Forssberg (J) 23:04, 18. Lexi McGowan (NFV) 23:08, 19. Taryn Moser (MFL) 23:22, 20. Abby Rachut (O) 23:33.

CHARLES CITY TOP 5 — 62. Megan Babcock 26:18, 87. Karina Ibarra 28:55, 105. Fiona Pittman 30:09, 117. Natalie King 31:54, 119. Avril Kraft 32:03.