Danielle Hostetler, a sophomore cross country runner at Mid-Prairie, faced a strange twist Saturday.

Instead of chasing a golf cart, the lead vehicle that carves out the path for a lead runner, Hostetler was chasing another runner in the Class 2A state championship race at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

Ellie Rathe of Union, a winner at the Anamosa state qualifier who was projected to finish as high as second at the state meet, took off like a rocket.

She blasted ahead by 10 meters. Then 20 meters. Then 30 meters.

Hostetler kept her cool.

She is not only a strong cross country runner, but she’s smart.

“I knew she was a really good runner, I knew she was going to be tough competition,” Hostetler said of Rathe. “I just wanted to stick with her for a little ways and then take my own pace.”

It made for a fascinating five minutes and added to the drama of a record-setting day for Hostetler and her Golden Hawk teammates.

Soon, Rathe’s lead shrunk to 20 meters, then 10 meters, then nothing. By the end of the first mile, Hostetler was already in front, chasing that golf cart, with a 1-mile split time of 5:43.09. Rathe was a tenth of a second behind. But dropping fast.

Somewhere on the course, Mid-Prairie head coach Mark Hostetler, Danielle’s dad, could see all this happening. He understands his daughter. And he understands the science. This is why the Golden Hawks talk about oxygen and breathing and maximum heart rates.

Rathe didn’t finish the race.

“You can’t go into oxygen debt and do your best. That’s probably the key,” Mark Hostetler said.

And Danielle Hostetler cruised to the finish line with her second consecutive state individual championship.

Within 46 seconds, another four Golden Hawks finished, clinching the team’s fifth consecutive state title to tie an all-classes record held by Iowa City High and Dowling Catholic.

Hostetler joined in a group hug. It was a special moment that really wasn’t defined by Danielle’s victory but was defined by the close bond of friends who just happen to be really good runners.

At just 15 years old, Danielle is the seasoned veteran. She knows what happens if you start fast. She knows the work and determination it takes to get here.

“Last year I was just new to it,” she said. “I didn’t really know what to expect. This year, I kind of felt like I knew a little more. I think I probably pushed it more this year because last year I was coming off an injury and I was favoring it.”

Danielle’s time of 18:27 was the sixth fastest in Class 2A state meet history, but still 36 seconds behind the 17:51 winning time that her older sister, Marie, posted in 2017. Combined, Anna, Marie and Danielle have won six consecutive state individual titles.

Her older sisters Anna and Marie won state titles here.

Oh, and is it time to mention that Danielle has a younger sister, Rachel, who’ll be an eighth grader and eligible to run varsity races when Danielle is a senior?

This is all about family and their faith. Sisters, and a group of Mid-Prairie runners who act like sisters.

“Just that confidence in trusting God,” Danielle said. “I knew He would help me through the hard parts and be with me in the easy parts.”

Danielle talked to Anna and Marie, who are now cross country runners at Liberty University in Virginia, a couple of days before last week’s state meet. They wished each other good luck.

And while Danielle charged ahead in Saturday’s race, the public-address announcer talked about the legacy of the Hostetler sisters and their winning streak, the sound from the speakers echoing over the course. No pressure there.

“It could become a lot of pressure, but I just try to think of it as a joy to have run in their footsteps,” Danielle said. “During one part of the race, I was just thinking, Anna and Marie weren’t discouraged here, so I better go after it.”

And at about the same time that Danielle was getting after it, sisters Anna and Marie were in Disney World helping 24th-ranked Liberty University win its second consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference championship. Anna, a senior, finished sixth to earn All-Conference honors and Marie, a sophomore, was 21st.

At the end of a day in Fort Dodge, Mark Hostetler pondered that for a minute as he scanned his smart phone to find results.

“A pretty good day,” he said with a smile.

Indeed it was.

 News columnist Paul Bowker can be reached at bowkerpaul1@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bowkerpaul.