Clear Lake X-C teams compete at Dick Bell Invitational

Clear Lake cross country teams competed at the Dick Bell Invitational on Oct. 2 in Eagle Grove. Nearly all Lion runners ran their personal best times of the year at the event.

Boys race

The boys had five runners come in under 19-minutes for the first time all year.

“We will need all of our varsity runners to be in the mid-18s or below to contend for a conference title,” said Coach Nick DiMarco, pointing to this week’s North Central Conference meet.

Progress in times led the team to a third place finish with 77 points and a team total time of 1:31:44.50, compared to first place Humboldt’s 39 points and 1:28:57.84 total time. Second place was Charles City with 61 points.

The Lions’ Justin Wright is getting closer to the 17-minute mark he is shooting for.  Wright finished second with a time of 17:16.26.  Another runner to crack the top 10 was Eric Faught, eighth, clocking a 17:57.12.

In 21st and 22nd respectively was Tanner Reimann (18:48.67) and Ben Stroup (18:49.53). The remaining scoring runners were Lewis Callaway, 24th (18:52.92), Austin Warnke, 28th (19:00.98) and Noan Colby, 29th (19:02.06).

Boys also competing for the Lions team were Jacob Pedelty, 38th (19:32.43), Jacob Petersen, 42nd (19:42.67), Vladimir Starrett, 71st (20:43.57), Joel Groeneweg, 76th (20:49.44), Carter Olk, 82nd (20:57.74), Austin Young, 88th (21:09.50), Elijah Mock, 94th (21:17.28), Mitchell Raber, 122nd (22:25.60), Eric Ritter, 123rd (22:26.93), Nick Currier, 125th (22:29.33),  Noah Petersen, 128th (22:37.50), Carson Odor, 131st (22:47.87), Caden Jones, 141st (23:15.79), David Guetzlaff, 144th (23:18.15) and Jorden Bergman, 150th (23:50.41).

Girl’s race

As for the ladies, the Lions were without their number one and number three runners, Alena Gabrielson and Kaylee McCarl due to injury.

“Bailey Larsen did a great job leading our girl’s team and running her best time of the year, a full minute faster than she ran the course last year,” said Coach DiMarco.  Larsen finished in 22nd place with a time of 22:32.44. 

Following their leader were Katelyn Moore and Jillian Enke as a pair, taking 37th and 38th in times of 23:53.11 and Enke’s career best time of 23:56.21. The remaining placing girls were Emily Roberts, 67th (25:16.52), Mallory Leisure, 79th (25:59.15), Haley Jackson, 94th (27:04.90) and Taylor Krull, 97th (27:12.95).

The team placed eighth in the nine-teams with 185 points. Charles City was the first place team with a mere 37 points followed by Spencer, 63 points and Gilbert, 79 points.

Also running for the team was Jessica Theobald, 107th (27:55.24), Sarah Hall, 112th (28:05.15), Sharrell Lee, 115th (28:17.07), Aimee Groeneweg, 137th (31:09.43), Gretchen Guetzlaff, 139th (31:21.31) and Chloe Williamson, 140th (31:21.31).