EV girls state bound for second-straight season

OTTUMWA — Last season, the English Valleys girls cross-country team broke a 21-year old drought of qualifying for the state meet as a team.

On Thursday, the Bears made it back-to-back with the same core of runners, taking second in a Class 1A qualifier at Wildwood Park.

“We’ve created a special bond with this team, and it feels amazing,” Aubrey Achenbach said. “We’ve been training the last five months for this.”

Martensdale-St Marys took the team title with 43 points. English Valleys defeated North Mahaska for the second qualifying spot with 68 points. The Warhawks were 15 behind with 83.

“We did what we needed to do,” head coach Luke Caster said. “We didn’t run our best. It’s really exciting and a good feeling to get past this one, and now we got to focus on performing well at state.”

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The Bears were led by a 10th place finish from Anna Luers, who earned the last medalist spot in a time of 21:07.76.

Luers has been the lead runner in both seasons that the Bears qualified as a team.

“She’s getting the experience of knowing what she needs to do and where to be,” Caster said. “I still think she has potential to get even better times and move up at the state meet.”

The course itself at Wildwood Park is not what would be called a fast course. It presents several challenges for competitors.

“It was a tough course,” Aubrey Achenbach said. “From the last time I was here they completely changed it up.”

Addison Achenbach was the next finisher for the Bears, in 16th, and Kaylynn Caster was 19th.

The Bears now set their sights on Fort Dodge again. The 1A girls’ race will be Saturday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. at Lakeside Golf Course.

“Looking forward to spending more time with team and making memories,” Aubrey Achenbach said.

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The girls’ team won’t be the only state qualifier. Sophomore Issac Frazier made it back-to-back years qualifying on the boys’ side as an individual, with an eighth place finish in 17:46.25.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do this without my team supporting me,” Frazier said.

With several ranked runners in the field, Frazier knew it would be tight to grab one of the last few qualifying spots.

“I tried not to let myself get too cocky,” Frazier said. I came in humble to help myself perform better.“

The 1A boys’ race will be right after the girls’ at 2:45 p.m. Saturday Nov. 1.

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In the other 1A qualifier involving area teams at North Linn, BGM’s Carter Corona qualified as an individual in the boys’ race. Corona finished seventh, breaking 18 minutes for the first time.

GIRLS RESULTS

Team Scores

1. Martensdale-St. Marys 43, 2. English Valleys 68, 3. North Mahaska 83, 4. Danville 114, 5. Sigourney 115, 6. Pekin 116, 7. Louisa-Muscatine 136.

Individual

Top 10- 1. Chloe Glosser (Pekin), 18:46; 2. Karson Oberdender (MSM), 18:58; 3. Maclaine German (MSM), 19:43; 4. Josie Dykstra (WACO), 20:21; 5. Marie Yoder (Hillcrest Academy), 20:23; 6. Emmerson Jedlicka (North Mahaska), 20:27; 7. Siena Stanerson (Hillcrest Academy), 20:31; 8. Alaina Gourley (Danville), 20:34; 9. Macie Carter (WACO), 20:38; 10. Anna Luers (English Valleys), 21:01

English Valleys (68): 10. Anna Luers, 21:01, 16. Addison Achenbach, 22:00; 19. Kaylynn Caster, 22:37; 22. Aubrey Achenbach, 22:45; 23. Kailor Lown, 22:53; 32. Kaylee Frazier, 23:37

Montezuma: 43. Sophia Semprini, 24:51; 47. Alexa Rose, 25:56, 49. Claire Erselius, 25:49; 51. Haileah Eichenberger, 26:21

BOYS RESULTS

Team Scores

1. Louisa-Muscatine 55, 2. Pekin 69, 3. WACO 77, 4. Hillcrest 153, 5. English Valleys 154, 6. Danville 166, 7. Sigourney 172, 8. North Mahaska 210, 9. Martensdale-St. Marys 211, 10. New London 266, 11. Montezuma 272, 12. Winfield-Mt. Union 285, 13. Fort Madison Holy Trinity 324, 14. Wapello 332, 15. Highland 365.

Individual

Top 10- 1. Cole Millikin (Pekin), 16:47; 2. Troy Klett (Sigourney), 17:13; 3. Isiah Wheeldon (MSM), 17:21; 4. Locken Henderson (Wapello), 17:21; 5. Lane Fariss (Pekin), 17:29; 6. Mason Dahlstrom (Pekin), 17:39; 7. Hayden Riggan (L-M), 17:45; 8. Isaac Frazier (English Valleys), 17:46; 9. Isaac Shinn (Danville), 17:54; 10. Oscar Cline (L-M), 18:09.

English Valleys (154): 8. Isaac Frazier, 17:46; 21. Will Luers, 19:06; 32. Evan Koehn, 19:56; 35. Dayne Render, 20:07; 63. Drake Offerman, 21:36; 72. Hunter Offerman, 22:23; 87. Davis Burdick, 24:47

Montezuma (272): 40. Dayton Reif, 20:16; 45. Cade Lowry, 20:25; 53. Linkyn Bru, 20:57; 58. Luke Benson, 21:19; 89. Caio Araujo, 25:34

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