Hawk harriers sweep SICL meet

SEARSBORO — The Lynnville-Sully cross country teams ended long streaks at the South Iowa Cedar League meet on Tuesday.

The Hawk girls came into the season with seven straight runner-up finishes and the L-S boys had never won a conference title since joining the league in the 1996-97 school year.

Both of those streaks ended at Big Springs Shooting Complex as the Class 1A No. 6 L-S girls and 1A No. 15 L-S boys swept the night with dual conference championships.

“What a night for the Hawks,” L-S head cross country coach Darin Arkema said. “An unprecedented level of success by our teams and athletes tonight in my 23 years as head coach.

“I’m so proud of every member of this team and the work, focus, determination and belief they have given to each other, to come together and raise the bar.”

The Hawk boys, behind a trio of first-team all-conference performers, dominated the field with 35 points. The next closest team was English Valleys with 78. Colfax-Mingo took third with 85.

The L-S girls edged No. 4 English Valleys by six thanks in part because of champion Mandeesa Vos and five top-12 finishes.

The first five finishers in each varsity race earn first team all-conference. The next five are second teamers and the 11th and 12th place finishers earn honorable mention recognition.

“We had 11 individuals (high school and junior high) receive either first team, second team or honorable mention all-conference honors,” Arkema said. “We’re going to celebrate and enjoy the success of tonight. But I know our high school teams aren’t done or satisfied yet. They have their hearts and minds focused on the state qualifying meet and trying to do all they can to get our teams to Fort Dodge.”

Vos won the girls’ 5K race and became the SICL champion with a time of 19 minutes, 38.4 seconds. It was her first race since moving into the 1A rankings at No. 27.

Emma Parkinson joined Vos on the all-conference first team in fourth with a time of 20:34.7.

Breah Lowry (21:19.4) and Olivia Norrish (21:25.4) finished eighth and 10th, respectively, and Peyton Sharp (21:32.6) placed 12th despite getting knocked down about a mile into the race.

Abigail Ver Ploeg (23:39.4) was the Hawks’ non-scoring runner in 20th.

It was the first SICL championship for the L-S girls since 2015.

“Our girls knew English Valleys likes to start fast and get out hard from the line,” Arkema said. “They were ready for it, and got out right with them. We were only two minutes into the race as they were approaching the first uphill, and I was already liking our chances because of the focused, confident and determined looks and posture our girls were running with. They wanted it and went and took it because they knew EV wasn’t going to just give it to them.”

L-S won the girls’ title in part because every scoring runner finished ahead of its English Valleys counterpart.

North Mahaska took third with 88 points, while Colfax-Mingo (95) and Montezuma (98) completed the five-team field.

Ashlynn Hosbond led Colfax-Mingo in 14th with a time of 21:44.8. Shae Wilkins (22:37.9) was 18th, Mallory Sipma (23:49.4) took 21st and Lilyan Hadsall (25:28.9) finished 28th.

Laila Kwaskiewicz (25:56.5) was the final scoring runner in 29th. Devan Chadwick (27:00.6) and Ava Van Maaren (31.09.4) were non-scoring runners in 36th and 45th, respectively.

English Valleys’ Anna Luers was the girls’ runner-up in 20:06.

The L-S boys placed three in the top five. Colton Alberts (17:23.3), Hendrick Lowry (17:23.8) and Blake Wilmesmeier (17:28.8) were all first team all-conference after posting times faster than 17:30 in second, third and fifth, respectively.

Ethan Dunsbergen (18:57.1) and Keegan Schnell (19:05.8) got into the top 15 in 14th and 15th and Madden Gunsaulus (19:24.3) was not far behind as a non-scoring runner in 16th.

Evan Arkema (19:55.6), Jordan Dunsbergen (20:38), Will Conover (21:34.4) and Andrew Arkema (21:58) were non-scoring runners in 24th, 31st, 37th and 40th, respectively.

The L-S boys secured its first SICL title since the joining the league 29 years ago.

“The boys wanted to show their depth and strength and put a lot of blue up in the pack,” Coach Arkema said. “I felt like the importance of strong hill running, both downhill and uphill, would be where they could distance themselves from the others in the field, and the Hawks showed what they were capable of. Having our first three all in the top five set us up very well for a team title.”

Sullivan Wilkins earned a second team all-conference honor with a 10th place finish to lead Colfax-Mingo. His time was clocked in 18:04.3.

Harrison Rhone (19:27.2) finished 17th, Owen Ament (19:30.7) was 19th, Mario Rodriguez (20:02.9) took 26th and Josue Rodriguez (20:18) ended up 27th as the final scoring runners.

Tony Buenrostro (22:26.4), Ryan Moore (23:34.4), Nate Endersbe (23:43.3), Jeremiah Wright (24:47.2) and Asher Knutsen (31.48.3) were non-scoring runners in 46th, 52nd, 53rd, 56th and 62nd, respectively.

Class 1A No. 2 Gage Heyne of English Valleys won the boys’ 5K race in 16:37.2.

Notes: The Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released their assignments for state qualifying meets on Oct. 24. L-S will go to Pleasantville. The other ranked school is Earlham, which is No. 2 for the girls and No. 5 for the boys. Colfax-Mingo heads to South Hamilton for its state qualifier. That meet features two ranked teams for both boys and girls, including the No. 14 Baxter boys.