Graeser, Williams record PRs while qualifying to XC State for the fourth time

Charles City seniors Xander Graeser, left, and Nick Williams became the second and third male Comet to qualify to the State Cross Country Meet all four seasons in high school after placing fourth and sixth, respectively, with personal-record 5K times at Wednesday’s Class 3A State-Qualifier at Wartburg College.
Having already breached the Comet Top 50 5K Times with previous PRs recorded this season, their efforts on Wednesday (16:14 for Graeser; 16:22 for Williams) moved them higher up the list.
By John Burbridge
sports@charlescitypress.com
WAVERLY — Charles City seniors Xander Graeser and Nick Williams brought this all on themselves back when they were freshman.
They both had the distinction of qualifying as individuals for the State Cross Country Championships as ninth-graders — a rare accomplishment among male XC runners.
That put them on course to potentially become four-time individual state-qualifiers, something only one other Comet male runner has been able to achieve — Isaac Wendland, a three-time state champion and one of the most decorated XC and track runners in Iowa high school history.
No pressure there. Well, Graeser and Williams may beg to differ.
“I was really nervous going into this race,” Graeser said of Wednesday’s Class 3A State-Qualifier at Wartburg College’s XC course. “I feel that for every state-qualifying race.”
Both runners have battled injuries and illnesses throughout the season, so getting that fourth berth was by no means a given. Nonetheless, Graeser and Williams not only accomplished their dual quest for a fourth-straight berth, but did so in grand fashion.
Graeser placed fourth with a 5K time of 16 minutes, 14 seconds, and Williams placed sixth with a time of 16 minutes, 22 seconds.
Both are substantial improvements from the personal-records each runner set earlier this season that had already placed them amid the Top 50 Comet male XC times. Wednesday’s performances moved them both up the list as Graeser, who improved 16 seconds from his previous PR, is now ranked 16th; Williams, who improved 14 seconds, now sits at 28th.
“I feel a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders,” Williams said.
Graeser and Williams said they “tapered” their training during the week leading up to the SQ.
“Our legs were fresh going into this race,” Graeser said.
“And it was a perfect day for running,” Williams said. “Just cool enough with a little breeze … we couldn’t ask for a better day to run.”
The final XC race of Graeser’s and Williams’s careers will be next Friday (Nov. 1) at 11:15 a.m. which is when the Class 3A boys race will take place at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge. Last year, Williams placed 25th in the Class 3A boys race, his best state finish.
“I’m just amazed how they were able to go to the well and come away with such great runs,” said Charles City head coach Ryan Rahmiller, who will have his team represented at the state meet for the 18th time out of his 21 years coaching at Charles City.
Waverly-Shell Rock senior Austin Soldwisch paced the boys race with a first-place time of 15:26 ahead of runner-up and Mount Vernon-Lisbon senior Grady Oberding (15:32).
Mount Vernon-Lisbon was the top team placer with 64 team points ahead of runner-up Decorah (72) and Clear Creek-Amana (76) — the top three squads qualify as teams.
Charles City placed seventh among the 13 full male teams. Rounding out the Comets’ SQ placement scorers were junior Jackson Kowalski (42nd, 17:51) and seniors Carter Haberkorn (62nd, 19:02) and Jordin Ritter (66th, 19:20), who edged fellow Charles City senior Noah Morris for the fifth scoring slot by 2 seconds.
“Jackson has improved throughout the season and I won’t be surprised to see him qualify for state at this time next year,” Rahmiller said. “And our other seniors have worked hard this season. We’re going to miss them.”
Charles City didn’t field a full team for the previous Class 3A girls state-qualifier, but may have something to build on for seasons to come.
Sophomore Megan Babcock, who has dropped nearly two minutes off her personal-record time of last season, was the first Comet to complete the course with a time of 23:33. Freshman Kinley Roths, whose 68th-place time of 24:33 was a PR, and Karina Ibarra’s 73rd-place time of 26:14, were the other two Comet female participants.
Mount Vernon-Lisbon sophomore Evelyn Moeller paced the female runners with a time of 18:31 while helping her team secure first place (47 team points).
Decorah (89) and Clear Lake (98) were the other team qualifiers.
Class 3A Cross Country State Qualifier
Waverly-Shell Rock
Oct. 23
AT WARTBURG COLLEGE
Boys Varsity 5K
TEAM RESULTS — 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 64, 2. Decorah 72, 3. Clear Creek-Amana 76, 4. Clear Lake 148*, 5. Williamsburg 148*, 6. Wahlert Dubuque 160, 7. Charles City 180, 8. Waverly-Shell Rock 191, 9. Webster City 251, 10. South Tama 280, 11. Belmond-Klemme 325, 12. Iowa Falls-Alden 332, 13. Hampton-Dumont-CAL 361.
* Placings determined by tiebreaker
TOP 15 STATE QUALIFIERS — 1. Austin Soldwisch (WSR) 15:26, 2. Grady Oberding (MVL) 15:32, 3. Jayden Brookins (WD) 16:07, 4. Xander Graeser (CC) 16:14, 5. Dawson Scheil (MVL) 16:16, 6. Nick Williams (CC) 16:22, 7. Isaac Sorensen (CCA) 16:25, 8. Barrett Jesina (ST) 16:27, 9. Brock Hilsman (CCA) 16:29, 10. Davis Coppola (D) 16:31, 11. Carson Meskimen (CCA) 16:33, 12. Grant Zilka (D) 16:37, 13. Gavin Roske (CL) 16:38, 14. Seamus O’Connor (MVL) 16:41, 15. Landyn Hook (D) 16:43.
CHARLES CITY — 4. Graeser, 6. Williams, 42. Jackson Kowalski 17:51, 62. Carter Haberkorn 19:02, 66. Jordin Ritter 19:20.
Girls Varsity 5K
TEAM RESULTS — 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 47, 2. Decorah 89, 3. Clear Lake 98, 4. Clear Creek-Amana 103, 5. Williamsburg 110, 6. Wahlert Dubuque 119, 7. Iowa Falls-Alden 171, 8. Waverly-Shell Rock 208, 9. Hampton-Dumont-CAL 284, 10. Belmond-Klemme 295, 11. Webster City 322.
TOP 15 STATE QUALIFIERS — 1. Evelyn Moeller (MVL) 18:31, 2. Addison Doughan (CL) 18:53, 3. Lucy Murphy (WD) 19:02, 4. Kiersten Swart (MVL) 19:04, 5. Channing Becker (W) 19:13, 6. Olivia Volkmann (D) 19:30, 7. Saylor Schmitt (CL) 19:32, 8. Edith Dawson (MVL) 19:36, 9. Demi Beaubien (IFA) 19:45, 10. Kira Barker (CCA) 19:45, 11. Edie Axmear (W) 19:52, 12. Piper Smith (IFA) 19:55, 13. Willa Berning (WD) 19:56.67, 14. Raelyn Newhouse (D) 19:56.95, 15. Sara Kinzenbaw (CCA) 19:58.63.
CHARLES CITY — 63. Megan Babcock 23:33, 68. Kinley Roths 24:33, 73. Karina Ibarra 26:14.
Girls Varsity 5K
TEAM RESULTS — 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 47, 2. Decorah 89, 3. Clear Lake 98, 4. Clear Creek-Amana 103, 5. Williamsburg 110, 6. Wahlert Dubuque 119, 7. Iowa Falls-Alden 171, 8. Waverly-Shell Rock 208, 9. Hampton-Dumont-CAL 284, 10. Belmond-Klemme 295, 11. Webster City 322.
TOP 15 STATE QUALIFIERS — 1. Evelyn Moeller (MVL) 18:31, 2. Addison Doughan (CL) 18:53, 3. Lucy Murphy (WD) 19:02, 4. Kiersten Swart (MVL) 19:04, 5. Channing Becker (W) 19:13, 6. Olivia Volkmann (D) 19:30, 7. Saylor Schmitt (CL) 19:32, 8. Edith Dawson (MVL) 19:36, 9. Demi Beaubien (IFA) 19:45, 10. Kira Barker (CCA) 19:45, 11. Edie Axmear (W) 19:52, 12. Piper Smith (IFA) 19:55, 13. Willa Berning (WD) 19:56.67, 14. Raelyn Newhouse (D) 19:56.95, 15. Sara Kinzenbaw (CCA) 19:58.63.
CHARLES CITY — 63. Megan Babcock 23:33, 68. Kinley Roths 24:33, 73. Karina Ibarra 26:14.
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