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Team Standings

1. Algona 29; 2. Webster City 61; 3. Eagle Grove 87; 4. Fort Dodge St. Edmond 107; 5. Clear Lake 140; 6. Hampton-Dumont 154; 7. Iowa Falls-Alden 168; 8. Algona Bishop Garrigan 233; 9. Clarion-Goldfield 259; 10. Humboldt NTS.

Individual All-Conference (Top 10)

1. Chad Rutledge (A) 16:20; 2. Ryan McMahon (A) 16:20; 3. Zach Thompson (EG) 16:57; 4. Ben Lambert (WC) 17:05; 5. Rex Rodenborn (SE) 17:08; 6. Alex Kenne (A) 17:12; 7. Mitch Hill (EG) 17:17; 8. Alex Lamp (WC) 17:18; 9. Kyle Walker (A) 17:22; 10. Mason Powers (WC) 17:25.

Other Webster City Results

17. Matt Severe 18:18; 22. Austin Elm 18:47; 25. Colin Ryan 18:57; 30. Mason Hedeen 19:05.

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WEBSTER CITY - You've got to give it to Ben Lambert. He went for it.

Not content to simply hand over the individual title to Algona stars Ryan McMahon and Chad Rutledge, the Webster City senior went out strong and showed that he was a contender on Tuesday during the 37th running of the North Central Conference boys' cross country meet at the Webster City Links.

If only his body could have kept up with his mind.

Lambert fell out of the lead pack when McMahon and Rutledge surged during the final third of the race, and he went on to place fourth overall in a time of 17 minutes 5 seconds. It was the third straight all-conference accolade for Lambert, but that was of little consolation to him just minutes after the race.

"I'm a little disappointed," he said. "I wanted to win it and I tried to push it, but I just couldn't keep up."

The quick pace early allowed Eagle Grove's Zach Thompson to also catch and pass Lambert. Thompson claimed the bronze medal in 16:57. Still, Webster City head coach Tony Bussan couldn't fault Lambert for his effort.

"Ben paid a price for doing it, but he went out to win the race," Bussan said. "I can't fault his efforts and he'll have no regrets because he went for it."

McMahon, the defending conference champion, and Rutledge put on quite a show as rain pounded the ground and darkness enveloped the course. Side-by-side, the teammates took off like they were running the 100-meter dash as they came down the homestretch. But it was Rutledge - the 2007 NCC runner-up who last spring won a Class 3A 400-meter track title - who got the better of the confrontation, as he leaned through the finish line a fraction of a second ahead of McMahon. Both turned in official times of 16:20.

"It felt really good to come here and get it done," Rutledge said after winning a cross country race for the first time in his career. "This is the first time I've actually beat (McMahon), so it will be exciting to see what happens in the future."

Lambert was one of three Webster City runners to earn all-NCC nods. Alex Lamp finished eighth in 17:18 and Mason Powers took 10th in 17:25. Just a freshman, Powers put himself in line to potentially be only the second Lynx runner during Bussan's long tenure to win four all-conference awards. The only one to currently hold that distinction is Kyle Kepler.

"(Being all-conference) was his goal and it's a huge accomplishment for a freshman, especially this year because of the depth of the conference," Bussan said of Powers.

Those three propelled Webster City into the runner-up slot in the team standings. The Lynx finished with 61 points, trailing only 3A No. 6 Algona, which won its second straight crown with 29 points.

The Bulldogs, who had four top-10 runners, now own six titles since the league's inception in 1972 and trail only Webster City (12) and Eagle Grove (11).

Eagle Grove (2A No. 4) was third with 87 and Fort Dodge St. Edmond (1A No. 11) took fourth with 107.

"I'm real excited about where we're at as a squad," Bussan said after his team earned the NCC silver for the seventh time in the program's history. "To finish runner-up was good because Algona has an exceptional squad and they will take a run at a state title. Quite honestly, 61 points would have won the North Central Conference meet several times over the course of my career."

Matt Severe (18:18) placed 17th for Webster City. Austin Elm (18:47) made the biggest jump, as he factored into the team's scoring five for the first time this season by finishing 22nd.

"Austin Elm really had a great race," Bussan said.

Colin Ryan (18:57, 25th) and Mason Hedeen (19:05, 30th) rounded out Webster City's unit.