Comet boys place 2nd at Sam Iverson XC Invitational

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

GRUNDY CENTER — Whenever a horse is first to the finish by a three- or four-lengths margin, it’s a convincing winner.

Grundy Center junior Emerson Vokes won the Boys Varsity 5K of the Sam Iverson Cross Country Invitational held Thursday at Town and Country Golf Course by three or four football field lengths.

A runner-up in last year’s Class 1A boys race at the State XC Championships, Vokes’s time of 15 minutes, 45 seconds was about 6 seconds short of his personal-record set several weeks ago at the Dick Pollitt Classic hosted by Waverly-Shell Rock and held on Wartburg College’s XC course.

Wapsie Valley Fairbank junior Aidan Brady won what soon became the race for second place while finishing more than a minute behind Vokes.

And speaking of second place, Charles City placed four runners in the Top 17 while compiling a second-place team score of 67 points — 16 behind Jesup atop the standings amid the 14 full-team field. J-Hawk senior Nathan Pint paced the team winners with a third-place time of 17:08, ahead of Comet seniors and three-time state-qualifiers Nick Williams (17:14) and Xander Graeser (17:19), who placed fourth and fifth respectively.

For Williams, who was coming off a win held last week hosted by Central Elkader, it was his first time over 17 minutes all season. But for Graeser, who has clocked in under 17 numerous times during his career, it was his season-best time.

Charles City junior Jackson Kowalski placed 16th (18:44), senior Carter Haberkorn placed 17th (19:11) and senior Jordin Ritter placed 33rd (20:10) to round out the Comets’ top-five scorers.

Charles City’s girls competed in the Junior Varsity Girls 5K and placed sixth among the six full teams.

The top five Comet placers were sophomore Megan Babcock (8th, 22:52), freshman Kinley Roths (18th, 27:46), sophomore Athena Dittmer (20th, 27:58), freshman Karina Ibarra (33rd, 29:45.41) and junior Fiona Pittman (29th, 29:45.51).

Sam Iverson Invitational

AT GRUNDY CENTER TOWN AND COUNTRY GOLF COURSE

Boys Varsity 5K

TEAM RESULTS — 1. Jesup 41, 2. Charles City 67, 3. Sumner-Fredericksburg 128, 4. South Hardin 149, 5. Grundy Center 151, 6. GMC Garwin 197, 7. Hudson 208, 8. Union La Porte City 222, 9. Valley Lutheran 236, 10. Waterloo East 236, 11. Gladbrook Reinbeck 25, 12. Montezuma 264, 13. BCLUW Conrad 273, 14. Waterloo Christian 297.

TOP 20 — 1. Emerson Vokes (GC) 15:45, 2. Aidan Brady (Wapsie Valley Fairbank) 16:47, 3. Nathan Pint (J) 17:08, 4. Nick Williams (CC) 17:14, 5. Xander Graeser (CC) 17:19, 6. Karsten Nuehring (J) 17:34, 7. Sawyer Spence (ULPC) 17:38, 8. Cayden White (BCLUW) 17:47, 9. Jacob Schellhorn (MFLMarMac) 17:58, 10 Jayce Fryslie (GC) 18:15, 11. Vince O’Connor (J) 18:25, 12. Tate Rochford (SF) 18:29, 13. Grady Dieleman (GMC) 18:33, 14. Jaxon Andreasen (J) 18:33, 15. Will Nesbit (J) 18:38, 16. Jackson Kowalski (CC) 18:44, 17. Carter Haberkorn (CC) 19:11, 18. Hayden Benton (J) 19:14, 19. Gavin Runyon (SH) 19:15, 20. Walker Laughridge (VL) 19:16.

CHARLES CITY TOP 5 — 4. Williams, 5. Graeser, 16. Kowalski, 17. Haberkorn, 33. Jordin Ritter 20:10.