Comet boys win first meet of the season at Central Elkader XC Invitational

Press Staff Report

ELKADER — By night, he’s “OrangePool” an anti-superhero with his head and body completely masked in solid school colors, and last seen racing around the track at Comet Field while cajoling the crowd to cheer Charles City to a Homecoming football game victory over Waterloo West last Friday.

By day, he’s mild mannered Charles City senior and three-time state cross country qualifier Nick Williams, who just won his second race in three tries this season at Thursday’s Central Elkader Invitational.

Coming off a runner-up performance at last week’s invite at North Fayette Valley while setting a personal-record 5K time, Williams got under 17 minutes for the third time this season with a winning time of 16 minutes, 56 seconds — well ahead of runner-up Henry Peterson (17:32) of Dunkerton.

With fellow Comet senior and three-time state-qualifier Xander Graeser — who was incidentally Charles City’s Homecoming King — placing fourth (17:43), junior Jackson Kowalski placing seventh (18:28), and seniors Carter Haberkorn (19:32) and Jordin Ritter (19:46) placing 12th and 14th respectively, the Comet boys won their first meet of the season with a team total of 38 points.

Hosting Central Elkader, paced by Gavin Holst’s fifth-place finish (18:01) was runner -up in the 12-team field with 57 points.

In the previous girls varsity race, Charles City was once again led by sophomore Megan Babcock, whose time of 25:58 placed her just outside the Top 20.

Kinley Roths (33rd, 27:53), Karina Ibarra (45th, 29:49), Fiona Pittman (49th, 30:58) and Charles City Homecoming Queen Natalie King (53rd, 31:55) rounded out the Comet girls’ team score.

Abbi Wasko of Dunkerton was the girls varsity winner with a time of 21:25.

Ava Franzen’s runner-up time of 22:10 paced South Winneshiek, which claimed team honors with 34 total points ahead of runner-up MFLMarMac (45).