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State Cross Country Meet Schedule

Saturday

Lakeside Golf Course, Fort Dodge

11 a.m.: Girls' Class 4A race

11:30 a.m.: Boys' Class 4A race

Noon: Girls' Class 3A race

12:20: Class 4A Awards Ceremony

12:30: Boys' Class 3A race

1:00: Girls' Class 2A race

1:20: Class 3A Awards Ceremony

1:30: Boys' Class 2A race

2:00: Girls' Class 1A race

2:20: Class 2A Awards Ceremony

2:30: Boys' Class 1A race

3:00: Class 1A Awards Ceremony

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WEBSTER CITY - Ben Lambert has the torch. He's just about ready to pass it to Mason Powers.

The unquestioned leader and the unquestioned surprise standout of the Webster City boys' cross country team will both get the chance to run one more race this fall, and this time the stakes will be higher than ever.

Lambert, a senior, and Powers, a freshman, will be in Fort Dodge on Saturday to compete in the boys' Class 3A race at the state meet. The meet will get underway from Lakeside Golf Course at 11 a.m. with the girls' 4A race. The Lynx duo will take to the course at 12: 30 p.m.

For Lambert, Saturday will be just the kind of going-out party he wanted. It's his fourth trip to the state meet and his last chance to break into the top 10 and earn all-state status.

Webster City head coach Tony Bussan says his leader is ready.

"Ben has raced with the best guys in the state and throughout the course of the season he's been right there," Bussan said. "He's got the resume and the experience, and now the key for him is getting out and racing those guys. He needs to go into the state meet and race and not worry so much about pace."

Lambert's best finish at state was a 26th-place result as a sophomore in 2006. He had a disappointing experience last fall and wound up in 46th.

Ryan McMahon and Chad Rutledge of Algona, Evan Selsor of Winterset and Tom Peterson of Nevada are among the competitors expected to contend at the front of the field. Lambert has gone head-to-head with all four and owns wins this season over Rutledge and Peterson.

McMahon was third at the 2007 state meet, the highest returning place-winner. Selsor took sixth, Peterson eighth and Rutledge ninth.

Bussan says the elite runners will push the pace early, and it's up to Lambert to match their efforts.

"We know that the guys who are going to be all-state are going to be sub-five (minute first mile), so Ben has to open strong," Bussan said. "He doesn't need to lead after 800 meters, but he certainly better be among the top 10 or 15 if he wants to try to make all-state."

Powers is the first Lynx rookie to ever qualify for the state meet as an individual, and while his goals may not include standing on the awards podium at day's end, Bussan says he's set a pretty high standard for himself.

"Mason's beginning level goal is to finish in the top 50, but quite honestly I think he can do significantly better than that," Bussan said. "His intermediate goal is he wants to be one of the top freshmen, perhaps the top freshman in the state meet. After that, it's just how far up the ladder can you go?"

It's already been a stellar freshman campaign for Powers. He has all-North Central Conference and all-district accolades under his belt, but Bussan says the best may be yet to come.

"I really believe he'll have a tremendous performance," Bussan said. "He's a racer and that's one of the things that Mason has come into the program with. He goes into a meet with the full intention of running with the best there."

All four boys' defending team champions - Iowa City Regina (1A), Monticello (2A), Cedar Rapids Xavier (3A) and Pleasant Valley (4A) - will be in Fort Dodge on Saturday, but not all of them will raise the hardware once again. Iowa City Regina moved up to 2A this fall, while Xavier is now a member of the 4A field.

The top-ranked teams, according to the Iowa Association of Track Coaches, are South Winneshiek (1A), Prairie City-Monroe (2A), Decorah (3A) and Pleasant Valley (4A).

All four of last year's individual champions graduated, setting the stage for a new crop of gold medalists.