Bontrager victory for Hillcrest cross-country

MEDIAPOLIS — Hillcrest Academy’s Leah Bontrager, a three-time state qualifier in cross-country, has been laboring all season to overcome a summer of obstacles to lower her times in the five-kilometer event to results she previously posted in years other than 2021.

Bontrager won Thursday’s race at the Mediapolis Cross-Country Invitational, finishing 20 seconds ahead of second place in 22 minutes, 45 seconds. The meet was held at Big Hollow Recreation Area on mostly grassy technical trails.

The triumph was Bontrager’s second individual title in her high school career. Both were this year in her senior campaign.

Emily Laumeyer finished sixth with Pekin teammates finishing at Nos. 8, 11, 14, 17 to win the girls team title. Ben Guise was the top Pekin boy finisher, taking sixth.

Solomon Zaugg of Mediapolis, ranked 23rd in Class 2A won the boys race in 18:26. Notre Dame/West Burlington won the team title.

Hillcrest senior Collin Miller’s fourth-place finish is the best in his high school career.

WACO boys were third behind eighth-place Wyatt Dennis.

Highland’s Carlos Valenzuela was ninth.

State qualifying for Classes 1A and 2A girls and boys teams will be Thursday Oct. 21.

Pekin and Van Buren will run at Ottumwa while Hillcrest, WACO, Highland, Columbus, Winfield-Mount Union teams will compete in the 1A state qualifier meet hosted by Regina at Iowa City Kickers Soccer Complex. The girls race is at 4 p.m. and the boys begin at 4:45 p.m. The top two teams and 10 individuals in each race qualify for the state meet held in Fort Dodge Saturday, Oct. 30.

BOYS TEAM SCORES

1. Notre Dame/West Burlington 28, 2. Mediapolis 100, 3. WACO 117, 4. Louisa-Muscatine 123, 5. Central Lee 130, 6. Hillcrest Academy 131, 7. Pekin 140. Highland had no team score.

WACO — 8. Wyatt Dennis 20:28.65, 10. Keiran Luitjens 20:48.63, 12. Isaac Rich 20:53.82, 24. Mattias Luitjens 22:14.54, 38. Alja Eremic 25:07.41

Hillcrest Academy — 4. Collin Miller 19:32.69, 19. Micah Gerber 21:42.09, 22. Jesse Blossom 22:05.46, 23. Jorge Canchola 22:10.07, 43. Quang Huynh, 25:37.67

Pekin — 6. Ben Guise 20:07.66, 17. Robert Brown 21:32.81, 27. Gavyn Brown 22:27.56, 37. J.T. Spray 24:30.54, 39. Dylan Sobaski 25:07.70

Highland — 9. Carlos Valenzuela 20:33.40, 40. Brendan Schnoebelen 25:14.95

GIRLS TEAM SCORES

1. Pekin 26, 2. Central Lee 58, 3. Mediapolis 64. WACO, Highland, Hillcrest, Notre Dame/West Burlington, Louisa-Muscatine had no team score.

Pekin — 6. Emily Laumeyer 24:30.53, 8. Aliya Peel 25:01.5, 11. Renae Eubanks 25:56.34, 13. Lexi Swearingen 26:30.83, 17. Ava Ford 27:14.75

Highland — 20. Katelyn Waters 27:36.77

WACO — 10. McKenzie Vradenburg 25:53.06, 21. Justine Lynn 27:51.93, 22. Avery Waterhouse 27:56.49

Hillcrest Academy — 1. Leah Bontrager 22:45.20, 14. Delaney Shaw 26:31.06, 27. Morgyn Nafziger 29:00.90, 29. Julia Boller 31:10.93