Glenwood sweeps Hawkeye Ten crowns

HARLAN — Glenwood captured both varsity team championships at Thursday’s Hawkeye Ten Conference cross country meet held at Harlan Golf and Country Club.

Glenwood finished with seven runners in the top 16 of the boys race in finishing with 38 points. Lewis Central edged St. Albert for runner-up with 75 points. The Creston boys were 10th at 266, just 10 points behind Shenandoah’s ninth-place finish.

Lewis Central’s Ethan Eichhorn is the 2022 Hawkeye Ten boys individual champion in a 5K time of 15:40.

Harlan’s Lindsey Sonderman placed first in the girls race in 18:46. Glenwood won a tight three-team race with 57 points, while Harlan and Atlantic were close behind with 60 and 61, respectively.

The Creston girls topped Shenandoah and Red Oak to take eighth place, just falling short of a pre-race goal of catching Carroll Kuemper Catholic for the first time this season. Creston scored 200 in eighth and Kuemper had a 180 final score in seventh.

“I thought our kids ran really good times tonight compared to this course last year,” said Creston coach Maggie Arnold. “Both teams did a nice job.”

Creston had six senior girls and sophomore Payton Davis competing in the varsity race. Autumn Stafford led the Panthers in 33rd place among 72 runners in 22:35.47. Emma Pantini was 39th in 23:21.76. Sydney Strunk was 43rd in 23:38.16. Rounding out the five counting scores were Riley DeGonia in 52nd in 24:48.28 and Tristen Rice 56th in 25:48.43.

“Our girls were about where they have been against that competition all year,” Arnold said. “We had been beating Shen and Red Oak and really hoped to catch Kuemper, but it just didn’t happen. Autumn Stafford led us in a really strong race for her. It was her best three miles of the year. Emma Pantini and Sydney Strunk were right behind her. Sydney closed that gap between her and Emma. Payton Davis has been coming in for us and she has run her two best races in our last two meets.”

Riley Wipperman again led the Creston boys in 41st place in a time of 18:53.36. Owen Weis was 47th in 19:01.56. Christian Ahrens moved up to third place on the Panther squad, finishing in 57th in 20:00.29. Rounding out the counting scores were Carson Smith 59th in 20:08.28 and Gabe Hopkins in 66th place in 20:45.36.

“Riley led us and Owen came in second as has been the case throughout the season,” Arnold said. “Christian Ahrens had a really good race tonight for us. He had been sitting fifth and sixth for us in previous meets and really came back strong from the Atlantic meet, when he really wasn’t himself. Carson Smith ran a good race right behind Christian. The boys were very close to beating Shenandoah tonight.”

There was another highlight of Creston’s participating in the meet, Arnold noted.

“In the middle school girls race, Reese Strunk medaled for us in 14th place and lost her shoe at the start of the race,” Arnold said. “She got stepped on in the beginning pack and looked strong and determined in the entire race.”

Strunk ran the two-mile course in 14:04.79.

Creston participates in the Class 3A State Qualifying Meet at Glenwood Lake Park next Wednesday.

Hawkeye Ten

Girls team scores

1. Team Glenwood 57; 2. Harlan 60; 3. Atlantic 61; 4. Denison-Schleswig 123; 5. Clarinda 132; 6. Lewis Central 155; 7. Kuemper Catholic 180; 8. Creston 200; 9. Shenandoah 260; 10. Red Oak 296.

Individual results

Leaders — 1. Lindsey Sonderman, Harlan, 18:46.41; 2. Mayson Hartley, Clarinda, 19:05.47; 3. Ava Rush, Atlantic, 19:28.55; 4. Claire Pellett, Atlantic, 19:36.11; 5. Marie Dea, Kuemper Catholic, 19:42.08; 6. Lauren Hughes, Glenwood, 20:15.74; 7. Breckyn Petersen, Glenwood, 20:16.93; 8. Belle Berg, Atlantic, 20:23.33; 9. Lola Mendlik, Denison-Schleswig, 20:25.35; 10. Maya Hunter, Clarinda, 20:36.88.

Creston — 33. Autumn Stafford, 22:35.47; 39. Emma Pantini, 23:21.76; 43. Sydney Strunk, 23:38.16; 44. Payton Davis, 23:44.10; 52. Riley DeGonia, 24:48.28; 56. Tristen Rice, 25:48.43; 58. Mallory Wilson, 25:58.63.

Creston JV — 30. Aileen Villalpando, 26:20.93; 36. Legna Villalpando, 27:59.58.

Boys team scores

1. Glenwood 38; 2. Lewis Central 75; 3. Council Bluffs St. Albert 88; 4. Carroll Kuemper Catholic, 118; 5. Atlantic 131; 6. Clarinda 136; 7. Harlan 163; 8. Denison-Schleswig 174; 9. Shenandoah 256; 10. Creston 266.

Individual results

Leaders — 1. Ethan Eichhorn, Lewis Central, 15:40.65; 2. Bryant Keller, Glenwood, 16:07.82; 3. Andrew Smith, Glenwood, 16:15.50; 4. Colin Lillie, St. Albert, 16:26.21; 5. Treyton Schaapherder, Clarinda, 16:26.28; 6. Kade Diercks, Lewis Central, 16:38.59; 7. Kyle Wagoner, Clarinda, 16:45.06; 8. Liam Hays, Glenwood, 16:50.25; 9. Richard Gonzalez, Denison-Schleswig, 16:59.47; 10. Ryan North, Kuemper Catholic, 17:00.91.

Creston — 41. Riley Wipperman 18:53.36; 47. Owen Weis, 19:01.56; 57. Christian Ahrens, 20:00.29; 59. Carson Smith, 20:08.28; 66. Gabe Hopkins, 20:45.36; 71. Anthony Eblen, 21:22.32;

Creston JV — 41. Jesh Vallalpando, 21:28.89; 46. Allen Kendrick, 21:42.37.