Golden Hawks runners capture 3-peat River Valley title

IOWA CITY

One after another, the girls in golden Golden Hawk jerseys blended together brilliantly in the reflection of a fall afternoon sun at the Kickers Complex.

Mid-Prairie senior Kendal Landstrum was first, finishing fourth overall in the River Valley Conference championship meet held Oct. 13.

Brooklyn Stutzman, a senior classmate, was right behind her in fifth place, and she was soon followed by Tessa Brokaw in eighth place and Rachel Hostetler in 11th place.

Five Mid-Prairie runners finished among the top 23, securing a conference team championship for the third consecutive year on a course that will also be used for a state qualifying race Thursday. The Golden Hawks scored 49 points and finished 19 points ahead of runner-up Monticello.

“We did really well,” Stutzman said. “I was really proud of the girls. I just feel like, at this part of the season, we get serious about it. I know all the girls are going to do their job and they’re going to do their best, whether it’s our best or whether it’s what we can give that day. I’m really proud of everybody.”

Max Swartzentruber, a Mid-Prairie senior, added to the Golden Hawk delight with a third-place finish in the boys race. Jacob Lothamer, a freshman, was 11th overall and the second freshman finisher.

The hot and humid day ended with Mid-Prairie’s girls, a strong contender for a state title next week, standing yet again atop the podium bridge at the Kickers Complex holding another championship plaque and their coach, Jeremy Meyers, being named River Valley Coach of the Year.

“Obviously, we’re thrilled with the girls conference championship. That’s always a big deal,” Meyers said. “Looking ahead, we’re back here Thursday for districts. I’m glad it’s a course that we’re familiar with. They’ve ran this two or three times a year since they were in seventh grade.”

Mary Grace Lyons of Monticello won the girls race with a time of 18:54.4 and Jackson Burrell of Anamosa won the boys race in 16:57.9, neither in personal bests, but this was not a personal best or season best kind of a day due to high humidity. Many runners nearly collapsed as they got to the finish line and were helped to water.

“It was hot,” Meyers said. “It was not a fast day. This is never a fast course. Nobody looked great on paper, time wise, but when you take a step back and look at how we competed and how we finished, we were right where we wanted to be.”

Landstrum, who finished in 20:05.8 after breaking 19 minutes earlier this season, had a cheerly look at the day.

“You’ve got to look at the positive,” she said. “If it wasn’t so hot, then maybe it would have been more wet. You’ve got to look at the positive.”

“Honestly, I was kind of grateful that it wasn’t quite as hot as it was yesterday,” said Stutzman, referring to the Golden Hawks’ four-mile training run with temps in the high 80s. “Just being able to push through when there’s conditions like that is really good and being strong mentally.”

Landstrum and Stutzman established fourth and fifth places halfway through the race, and strongly held those positions. Stutzman finished in 20:19.3, and Brokaw, a junior, was just three spots back in eighth place with a time of 20:51.5. Hostetler, a junior, was 11th with a time of 21:19.1 and senior Ruby Miller had a time of 22:19.5 to finish 23rd.

“Ruby, being her first year out, she is just running fantastic,” Meyers said.

Not far behind was Kyrie Poll in 41st place with a time of 23:56.9 and Nikkari Poll one spot behind in 24:04.

“We all have our eyes set on the prize,” Landstrum said.

In the boys race, Swartzentruber ran a powerful race behind Anamosa’s Burrell and Nolan Weers, finishing third in a time of 17:22.5. For much of the race, Swartzentruber was alone, leading Maddex Maurer of West Liberty by more than 20 seconds and trailing Weers by nearly 20 seconds.

“It’s brutal when you’re by yourself,” Swartzentruber said. “I was kind of in a desert there for a little bit. I was trying to work my way up with those guys.”

Swartzentruber has finished first and third in this race the last two years.

“Both of those guys (Burrell and Weers) are really highly ranked in the state,” Meyers said. “He hung with them for a majority of the race. To be third in our conference with the talent that we have here, we’re happy with that. That’s a really great finish.”

Lothamer, running in the River Valley varsity championship race for the first time, finished 11th with a time of 18:30.9. The only faster freshman was Noble Fields of Wilton, in 17:51.8.

RIVER VALLEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

(At Kickers Complex, Iowa City, Oct. 13)

GIRLS TEAM SCORES: 1, Mid-Prairie, 49; 2, Monticello, 68; 3, Tipton, 77; 4, Maquoketa, 79; 5, IC Regina Catholic, 131; 6, Cascade, 167; 7, Beckman Catholic, 213; 8, Anamosa, 224; 9, Camanche, 234; 10, Alburnett, 247; 11, Wilton, 318; 12, Bellevue, 330.

GIRLS TOP FIVE: 1, Mary Grace Lyons, Monticello, 18:54.4; 2, Abigail Miller, Maquoketa, 19:19.8; 3, Avery Mente, Tipton, 19:57.9; 4, Kendal Landstrum, Mid-Prairie, 20:05.8; 5, Brooklyn Stutzman, 20:19.3.

MID-PRAIRIE: 8, Tessa Brokaw, 20:51.5; 11, Rachel Hostetler, 21:19.1; 23, Ruby Miller, 22:19.5; 41, Kyrie Poll, 23:56.9; 42, Nikkari Poll, 24:04.0; 76, Ella Chiang, 26:36.6; 85, Zoe Waters, 27:23.9; 88, Keziah Brenneman, 27:36.6; 97, Leah Kelley, 28:07.5; 98, Chloe Fay, 28:09.0; 100, Braelee Yoder, 28:18.2; 112, Audrey Huber, 29:27.5; 124, Gwen Wunderlich, 33:33.6.

BOYS TEAM SCORES: 1, Anamosa, 46; 2, IC Regina Catholic, 90; 3, Monticello, 119; 4, Tipton, 123; 5, Mid-Prairie, 173; 6, West Liberty, 184; 7, Beckman Catholic, 189; 8, Alburnett, 226; 9, Durant, 236; 10, Bellevue, 252; 11, Maquoketa, 273; 12, Wilton, 284; 13, Northeast, 299; 14, Cascade, 324.

BOYS TOP FIVE: 1, Jackson Burrell, Anamosa, 16:57.9; 2, Nolan Weers, Anamosa, 17:05.4; 3, Max Swartzentruber, Mid-Prairie, 17:22.5; 4, Maddex Maurer, West Liberty, 17:44.3; 5, Alan Arriaga-Rangel, Monticello, 17:45.2.

MID-PRAIRIE: 11, Jacob Lothamer, 18:30.9; 47, Reece Waters, 19:58.1; 57, Cayce Damschen, 20:33.4; 58, Landon Hough, 20:35.7; 61, Thomas Lueck, 20:39.6; 66, Ben Lothamer, 20:52.9; 91, Jonathon Pickard, 22.07.1; 102, Archie Damschen, 22:35.3; 107, Samuel Friessen, 22:57.9; 125, Jerry Patterson, 24:31.1; 128, Jackson Rodgers, 24:36.3; 129, Jeremy Overy, 24:38.6; 130, Andrew Adam, 25:02.0; 142, Wyatt Miller, 26:31.3; 156, Aven Jaspering, 31:57.7.