State meet set for cool finish

Nick Moffitt
Posted 10/31/19

With a temperature just cracking into the 40s on Saturday, the state meet will finish the cross country season on a cool note. The Mid-Prairie girls qualified for the team race again, running to a …

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State meet set for cool finish

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With a temperature just cracking into the 40s on Saturday, the state meet will finish the cross country season on a cool note. 

The Mid-Prairie girls qualified for the team race again, running to a second-place finish at the Williamsburg meet last Thursday. It was their first loss this season to the Class 2A No. 2 Raiders and provides fuel for Mid-Prairie to beat Williamsburg and capture a third-straight title in Class 2A. 

The 37-43 score was the closest score between the two schools all season, but the top-heavy field at the state meet should tilt the race in favor of Mid-Prairie. 

The first and biggest is Marie Hostetler. Seeking her third straight individual title in Class 2A, Marie will face some strong competition. Among the top five rankings in Class 2A, Hostetler ran the fastest time with a 17:51. No. 2 Emily Staal of Springville-Central City ran 18:10, No. 3 Kate Crawford ran 19:47, No. 4 Abby Christians ran 20:40 and No. 5 Ella Waddle ran 20:11. 

Staal and Hostetler ran stride-for-stride through the first two miles of the state meet last season before Hostetler made her winning move. She will face another tough test from the Springville-Central City senior this year as well. Hostetler defeated Staal by 43 seconds at the one meet they ran earlier this year at Monticello. 

Hostetler will provide a boost to the team score at the state meet because of the runners that will come in between her and Williamsburg’s top runner, Grace Schaefer. If the rankings hold, the difference between Schaefer and Hostetler is nine points compared to the 1-2 finish they had at the qualifying meet. 

The Mid-Prairie girls team is also reaching their peak at the right time. Six of seven runners for Mid-Prairie ran season bests at the qualifying meet and Mitzi Evans was only one second off a season best despite being sick. If they continue to run that way, the Golden Hawks should be looking at a three-peat. 

The other teams Mid-Prairie will have to look out for are WC-KP, Monticello and Davis County in the top 5. Mid-Prairie easily dispatched Davis County at the state meet, putting four runners in before the Mustangs first. Comparing qualifying-meet times across different meets, Mid-Prairie also finished four runners before the first crossed the line for No. 3 WC-KP. In multiple races this season, Mid-Prairie has defeated conference foe Monticello.

It would be the third team title for Hostetler and Ana Fleming. The second title for Abbagail Evans, Mitzi Evans and Angelina Evans and the first team title for Jaden and Sydney Yoder. 

The Golden Hawks will begin their race for another title at 2 p.m. on Saturday.