Article Photos

Fact Box

Class A Team Standings

1. Garner-Hayfield/West Hancock 77; 2. ADM Adel 102; 3. Dallas Center-Grimes 108; 4. Creston 123; 5. Webster City 124; 6. Winterset 127; 7. Perry 128; 8. Norwalk 156; 9. Boone 184; Saydel and Carlisle NTS.

Class A Individual Top 5

1. Lauren Opp (GH/WH) 15:37; 2. Mel McDermott (GH/WH) 16:06; 3. Erin Sawyers (Wint.) 16:09; 4. Natasha Swanson (Bo.) 16:10; 5. Daphne Baumgartner (P) 16:12.

Webster City Results

19. Mikaela Pruismann 17:10; 21. Paige Bonjour 17:14; 26. Breanne Wagner 17:22; 27. Alicia Long 17:23; 31. Bailey Bergman 17:38; 34. Erin Hunt 17:43; 41. Sarah Perin 17:58.

Class C Team Standings

1. Nodaway Valley 49; 2. North Polk 81; 3. South Hamilton 98; 4. Panorama 101; 5. South Hardin 131; 6. Prairie Valley 140; 7. Eagle Grove 146; 8. Ogden 194; 9. Colfax-Mingo 246; I-35 and West Central Valley NTS.

Class C Individual Top 5

1. Olivia Diggs (Og.) 15:19; 2. Dawn Gildersleeve (NP) 16:03; 3. Marissa Madison (NP) 16:07; 4. Bethany Olson (SHam.) 16:07; 5. Elly Argenbright (Pan.) 16:19.

South Hamilton Results

4. Bethany Olson 16:07; 17. Sierra Weltha 17:13; 23. Alyssa Henderson 17:28; 25. Caitlin Rexroat 17:38; 29. Alyson Fisher 17:49; 30. Cassie Vold 17:53; 31. Allison Kuhfus 17:55.

Advertisement

HUXLEY - The South Hamilton girls' cross country team left Monday's Ballard Invitational quite content with its performance in the state's largest regular season meet. Webster City wishes it could have said the same.

While the Class 2A ninth-ranked Hawks went about their business of finishing in the bronze medal spot in Class C, the Lynx continued to be an enigma as they struggled to place fifth in Class A - the meet's largest class.

"There's no sense in panicking, but there's no question that the girls are behind where we would expect to be at this point in the season," Webster City head coach Tony Bussan said of his squad that brought every member of last year's runner-up team at the Ballard Invite back this fall. "The girls care so much and it's leading to a lot of frustration on their part. But all we can do at this point is work on getting better every day."

Webster City tallied 124 points, one point behind fourth-place finisher Creston. Garner-Hayfield/West Hancock claimed the Class A title with 77, ADM Adel was second with 102 and Dallas Center-Grimes stood third with 108.

Other girls' champions included 3A 10th-ranked Ballard (Class B), 1A fifth-ranked Nodaway Valley (Class C) and 1A second-ranked Earlham (Class D).

Alicia Long and Bailey Bergman were two of the bright spots for Webster City, as they placed 27th and 31st, respectively, in the middle of the Lynx pack. Long crossed the finish line in 17 minutes 23 seconds, nearly two minutes better than her time at the same meet a year ago, while Bergman turned in a time of 17:38.

"We do have a few girls in our mid-pack that are stepping up," Bussan said. "Alicia and Bailey ran really well, so there are signs of improvement."

Mikaela Pruismann was Webster City's leader, as the junior who won the Class A crown last fall surged over the final 800 meters to pass teammate Paige Bonjour and finish 19th in 17:10. Bonjour was four seconds off her pace in 21st.

Breanne Wagner was the third Lynx runner across the line, as she beat Long by a step to place 26th in 17:22.

Bussan says the next few weeks will be quite important for his squad as it attempts to rebuild its psyche before the late-season push begins next month.

"It's not for a lack of trying on the girls' parts, that's for sure," he said. "I don't question the effort, we've just got to get better."

Bethany Olson and her South Hamilton teammates didn't have much to complain about. The Hawks earned a small measure of revenge by topping fourth-place finisher Panorama by three points in Class C. Panorama knocked off the Hawks at last week's Jefferson-Scranton Invite.

"Third was about where we deserved to finish," South Hamilton head coach Jim Klein said. "I knew Nodaway Valley was tough and I knew that (second-place finisher) North Polk was tough, so we finished about where I thought we would."

Olson made it three straight meets at the front of the Hawks' pack. The senior had a chance to move up a spot or two as the front wave of runners made the sprint down the homestretch, but she settled for fourth in a time of 16:07.

"I thought I had a chance to catch (third-place finisher Marissa Madison of North Polk) at the end, but she had a good kick and took off," Olson said. "But I'm just trying to do what I can for the team. I'll work my hardest and put in my time and whatever comes comes."

Sierra Weltha returned from a one-meet hiatus due to illness, and although she still wasn't 100 percent, the senior clocked a time of 17:13 to finish 17th.

"Sierra's still not completely healthy, but she's getting there," Klein said. "She's usually about 30 seconds behind Bethany and once she gets back there we should be a lot stronger as a team."

Alyssa Henderson and Caitlin Rexroat kept close tabs on one another throughout the race. Henderson gained a slight edge on her teammate late and finished 23rd in 17:28. Rexroat was 10 seconds back in 25th.

Alyson Fisher was South Hamilton's fifth scoring runner. She placed 29th in 17:49.

Lauren Opp of Garner-Hayfield/West Hancock (Class A), Kate Price of Iowa Falls-Alden (Class B), Olivia Diggs of Ogden (Class C) and Zoe Johanns of Grundy Center (Class D) earned individual titles.