Lion cross country teams open season at IF Invite

(Above) Clear Lake’s Jillian Enke competes in the Hampton cross country meet at Maynes Grove.  -Photo courtesy of Kristi Nixon, Mid-America Publishing

by Marianne Gasaway

Clear Lake’s cross country teams opened up with 2019 season by participating in the Iowa Falls Invitational at Maynes Grove Park Thursday, Aug. 29.  The Lion boys showed they will be a team to watch this season by finishing third overall with several freshmen contributing.  The Clear Lake girls team also had a strong showing, placing seventh with a mix of upperclassmen and newcomers.

Boys results

Justin Wright picked up right where he left off last year, placing fourth overall in the boys varsity race.  Wright is the Lions’ lone returning State qualifier.    According to Coach Nick DiMarco, senior  Jacob Pedelty and Wright, a junior, will be the core of a very young team for the Lions this year.

Pedlety finished 18th overall in a time of 19:20.

“Jacob guided a group of four freshman through their first 5K race and was instrumental in our strong team placement,” said DiMarco.

Newcomers Andrew Mixdorf, Jaden Wright, Jack Crane and Christopher Molander experienced early high school success, all finishing inside the top 30.

Mixdorf was 19th (19:21.11).  Wright was clocked in 19:22.68 to place 20th, and Crane was 23rd in 19:30.65.

  Christopher Molander finished in 26th place with a time of 19:36.  Rounding out the team was Leo Tolentino, who finished 43rd with a time of 20:39.  Also running was Roman Gabrielson 50th (20:49), Elijah Mock 55th (21:25), Vladimir Starrett 57th (21:26), Jordan Bergman 64th (21:45), Noah Petersen 80th (22:34),

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Matt Moore 85th (22:41), Logan Ruff 114th (25:04) and JJ Bauer 123rd (26:53).

Girls results

Leading the way for the Lion girls in the first meet was freshman Jadyn Heesch, who placed 31st with a time of 24:41.

“She did a great job pacing throughout the race and picked off a lot of runners down the stretch,” said Coach DiMarco.

Junior Julian Enke was next for the Lions at 40th place with a time of 25:42.

“Julian worked very hard in the off season.  She was over a minute faster than she ran the same course last year,” noted DiMarco.

Sophomores Kaylee McCarl and Emily Roberts paced each other to a 44th and a 45th place finish.  McCarl covered the course in 25:52 and Roberts in 25:55.  Freshman Ella Nielsen rounded out the Lions’ scorers in 58th place with a time of 27:37.

Senior Jessica Theobald ran a great race, placing 68th with a time of 28:53.

“Jessica helps keep the team motivated and focused with her positive attitude,” said DiMarco.

Julia Kravchuk, placed 74th with a time of 29:56; Aimee Groeneweg 76th (30:56), Gretchen Guetzlaff 83rd (32:30), Chloe Williamson 90th (34:46), Hana Hasheash 97th (39:37).

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