FORT DODGE

Led by two seniors who medaled with top 15 finishes, it was an outstanding team effort for the Mid-Prairie boys at this year’s Cross Country State Championship meet at Fort Dodge, capturing a 2A State Runner-Up Championship on Nov. 2.

“They did a great job today. They ran smart,” Mid-Prairie cross country coach Mark Hostetler said about Mid-Prairie’s performance at state. “The boys at the mile were in 12th, and they moved up to second at the end of the meet.”

The Golden Hawks ended with a team score of 128 to place second overall. The state championship was won by Oelwein, scoring 113.

One year removed from a brilliant performance that won him an individual state title, Emmett Swartzentruber (No. 8 in 2A) was once again Mid-Prairie’s top performer, placing 4th in 15:56.

Coming in with the next top finish was fellow senior Preston Yutzy (No. 14 in 2A), placing 14th in 16:28. For Yutzy, when compared to his performance last year at state, he improved his placement by 25 spots and ended with a time that was nearly 40 seconds faster.

“We ran the second mile really well and the third mile too. Today was by far the most gutsy finish I have ever been a part of. Raw energy,” Swartzentruber said. “When you come around the last corner and see the finish line and all the fans, you can’t help but go faster. I wouldn’t want our career to end any other way.”

“I’m just proud of how we all competed. We were all fighting for it,” Yutzy said. “You rely on your guts, heart and God. This means more than any of us can ever say. This isn’t just teammates, this is brothers.”

The next Golden Hawk to reach the finish line was another senior, Jayse Yoder. Yoder placed 21st in 16:55, a significant improvement from his 86th place finish in 17:57 at last year’s state meet. 

Next it was a couple of underclassmen to complete the course. The sophomore duo of Max Swartzentruber and Luke Brokaw brought in the next finishes with times of 17:41 and 17:50 respectively to place 68th and 75th.

The final two Hawks who rounded out the team score were Thomas Flynn and Jesse Stultz. Flynn, a senior, placed 93rd in 18:06 and Stultz, a junior, finished in 18:43 to place 118th.

Immediately after the race it was clear just how much this race meant to these seven Mid-Prairie athletes, and especially to the four seniors who just completed the last cross country race of their high school careers.

“I’m really gonna miss these seniors, because they have done so much just kind of on their own, to where you don’t have to worry about them,” coach Hostetler said. “Because not only do they want to make everybody want to work hard, but they make everybody want to do what’s right, and just in a lot of things in life, and they’re challenging everybody, and they support everybody else on the team.”

There were long embraces between teammates and plenty of tears shed at the conclusion of this race. Later on, at the awards ceremony all those emotions turned to sheer joy when the Mid-Prairie boys team was handed the state runner-up champion trophy.

“It’s amazing seeing all of our fans, family and teammates cheering us on,” Yoder said about the reception at the awards ceremony. “It’s a lot of adrenaline and awesome times.”

It was a wonderful way to end the season for Mid-Prairie and now they will wait until next year to compete on a cross country course once again. In the offseason they say goodbye to the senior class of Swartzentruber, Yutzy, Yoder, Flynn, and Adrian Sanchez Reyes.