English Valleys’ girls return top 6 runners

Three team points. That is all that kept the English Valleys’ girls cross country team from a podium (top three) finish last season at the Iowa High School State Championships in Fort Dodge.

The Bears will be primed to make another run at the podium again this season.

In fact, with a year of experience on the legs of what was a young team, they may be in an even better position this season.

The team returns its top six finishers from the state meet.

English Valleys won’t be the only area girls team aiming to run at Fort Dodge come late fall.

Williamsburg looks to get back on track in what is almost a yearly tradition in this century in a tough Class 3A.

The Raiders have qualified for the state meet 23 of the last 26 seasons and return six varsity runners from their state qualifying meet.

The boys team also returns its top seven and hopes to make a run at state this season if it can improve.

Here is a quick look at each area cross-country team as meets get underway later this month.

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BELLE PLAINE

Head Coach: Matthew Mengler

2024 recap: Boys finished fourth at South Iowa Cedar League meet, girls with incomplete team score.

BGM

Head Coach: Jon Holdefer

2024 recap: Girls had incomplete team score at SICL meet, but did have a complete team at state qualifying meet. Boys also had incomplete team at SICL meet, but freshman Carter Corona earned all-conference honors with 11th place finish, was also 15th at state qualifying meet in 18:17.5.

ENGLISH VALLEYS

Head Coach: Luke Caster (6th season)

2024 recap: Girls qualified for state as a team and finished fifth and were three points away from third and a trophy. Boys qualified two to state as individuals, including Isaac Frazier as a freshman.

Key returners: girls — Return top six runners from state team (Anna Luers, Addison Achenbach, Kailor Lown, Aubrey Achenbach, Kaylynn Caster and Kaylee Frazier); Boys — Isaac Frazier & Evan Koehn (both finished top 10 at SICL meet last season).

Newcomer to watch: boys — Will Luers, won junior high race at SICL championships last season.

Season outlook: A young girls team from last season now has the experience and is primed to be a trophy contender this season in 1A. Boys, with the upcoming junior high class look to be a competitive team in the SICL that can contend for a title.

HLV-TC

Head Coach: Chase Sternhagen

2024 recap: Boys finished sixth at SICL meet and qualified one individual to state meet in Peyton Roth. Girls had incomplete team score.

IOWA VALLEY

Coach: Tiffany Thiessen (5th season)

2024 recap: Boys finished seventh at South Iowa Cedar League meet, girls with incomplete team score. Top-runner Jeffrey Crawford earned SICL honorable mention status in boys race with 12th place finish.

Key returners: Each team returns one senior: Kathryn Kilgard on the girls side and Ayden Hollister on the boys side.

Season outlook: Young team that will look to improve throughout the season in race times.

MONTEZUMA

Coach: Kevin Gartman (9th season)

2024 recap: Both teams finished 5th out of scoring teams at SICL meet last season. Highest returning finishers are Alexa Rose (girls) and Cade Lowry (boys), who both finished 21st.

Key returners: Girls — Claire Erselius, Vivian Cook, Alexa Rose and Sophia Semprini; Boys — Cade Lowry, Linkyn Bru, Dayton Reif and Nicholas Damon.

Newcomer to watch: Luke Benson (boys)

Season outlook: Goal is for both teams to finish in the top five again in the SICL. A healthy Erselius and Cook both have potential to have great seasons as the top of the conference on the girls side is strong. Boys are young and will look for a number one to emerge as the season rolls on.

WILLIAMSBURG

Coach: Nick Nordheim (18th season as girls, 13th as boys)

2024 recap: Qualified two individuals to state on the girls side in Channing Becker and Edie Axmear. Competed at a tough 3A qualifier and a competitive WaMaC. 12 returning runners ran personal bets at state qualifying.

Key returners: Return 13 of 14 varsity runners from state qualifying. Girls— Ashlyn Hoffman, Edie Axmear, Makenna Capper, Channing Becker, Anya Rivera and Leighton Maas; Boys— Nile Busch, Colin Ree, Hayes Arwine, Finn Brummel, Charlie Koons, Hudson Nunnelley and Tyler McMullin.

Newcomer to watch: Boys— Marcus Pirkl, was third place at the junior high state meet last season.

Season outlook: 3A and the top of the WaMaC will remain strong, but with returning almost everything from last season the Raiders will look to work off the momentum built at the end of last season. Girls look to get back on the tradition of qualifying for state as a team, which they’ve done 23 of the last 26 season. Boys have qualified eight of the past 14 seasons.

(Not all coaches responded to questions before press time.)