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Cross-country individual rankings released
Washington’s Sobaski, Mt. Pleasant’s Blint make list of Top 30
When the Iowa Association of Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches released their rankings in the preseason for the 2021 season, it was mostly a listing of last season’s finish at the state meet while allowing for graduated seniors.
There were a number of Union area runners listed in their respective classes. Cross-country is a sport that takes a work ethic and a perseverance that few are able to muster.
Washington’s Lance Sobaski is dedicated to running, dedicated to improving, dedicated to winning.
Sobaski was the first Washington Demon to win the Southeast Conference cross-country title.
Upon winning he was quoted as saying that it felt great, but it would feel better next year when he wins a second time. Well, next year is here, and Sobaski is in the Class 3A rankings, a recognition that wasn’t achieved until late last season.
This year he starts at No. 15 after finishing 27th at state. If that creates a target on his back, he welcomes the competition.
Close behind in the rankings is SEC rival Fort Madison’s Austin Miller, ranked 21st. The Bloodhounds team was ranked in the preseason (No. 20) while the Demons are not.
Mt. Pleasant’s Abby Blint is a competition junkie. When she isn’t running cross-country, she stays in shape by wrestling. Or does she stay in shape for wrestling by running cross-country.
She finished seventh in her weight class at the girls state wrestling tournament. She was 43rd at state cross-country in 3A.
There is little to ponder as to why the Golden Hawks continue to win gold at the state cross-country meet in Fort Dodge in October.
Between the depth of the team and the talent at the top, there is no beating Mid-Prairie’s girls.
Three of the top eight individual girls ranked in Class 2A are Mid-Prairie runners. A fourth, Sydney Yoder, is ranked 12th. At the 2021 state meet, four of the top 11 places were Golden Hawks. Danielle Hostetler won as a freshman and is ranked No. 1 with No. 2 Jaden Yoder and No. 8 Mitzi Evans.
There are girls named Lauren who are ranked for Pekin in Class 1A — No. 14 Lauren Steigleider and No. 28 Lauren Dersheid.
Columbus which celebrated its 50th cross-country season last year with a boys team trip to state has Isaac Acosta ranked at 18.
Danville-New London won the team title in 2A boys at state and has the top two ranked individuals in the preseason rankings in Ty Carr and Alexander Julian. AJ Bonneson is ranked 12th. The Bears must be wary of Christian schools and Tipton, which has runners ranked at 10. 11 and 25. Des Moines Christian has the third- and fourth-ranked runners while Western Christian has five team members ranked in the top 30.
Class 3A Boys
1 Aidan Ramsey 12 DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES
2 Eli Larson 12 CENTER POINT-URBANA
3 Zach Sporaa 11 NORTH POLK
4 Max Sporaa 11 NORTH POLK
5 Shane Erb 12 MARION
6 Jacob Ewers 12 DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES
7 Luiz Martinez 10 STORM LAKE
8 Jedidiah Osgood 11 MARION
9 Andrew Smith 10 GLENWOOD
10 Sam May 12 MOC-FLOYD VALLEY
11 Gavin Zillyette 12 CLEAR CREEK-AMANA
12 Gabe Hinmna 12 SOLON
13 Carlos Rodriguez 12 SERGEANT BLUFF-LUTON
14 Brick Kabela 10 SOLON
15 Lance Sobaski 12 WASHINGTON
16 Chase Lauman 11 PELLA
17 Will Ford 11 NORTH POLK
18 Jack Every 10 DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES
19 Mike Yeomans 10 SOLON
20 Tate McDermott 10 DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES
21 Austin Miller 12 FORT MADISON
22 Carter Hancock 12 WAHLERT CATHOLIC
23 Patrick DeRonde 12 OSKALOOSA
24 Jackson Mace 12 NEWTON
25 Eli Naumann 12 WESTERN DUBUQUE
26 Lincoln Eighmy 10 CARLISLE
27 Carter Hall 11 MOUNT VERNON/LISBON
28 Arlo Hayes 11 DECORAH
29 Jacob Storey 11 DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES
30 Zane Berg 11 ATLANTIC
3A Girls
1 Paityn Noe 11 BALLARD
2 Ainsley Erzen 12 CARLISLE
3 Rebecca Anderson 11 DECORAH
4 Geneva Timmerman 11 ADEL DESOTO MINBURN
5 Lydia Maas 10 HAMPTON-DUMONT-CAL
6 Kami Smith 11 DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES
7 BroooklynStanley10 BISHOP HEELEN
8 Emily Haverdink 12 MOC FLOYD VALLEY
9 Norah Pearson 11 KNOXVILLE
10 Kora Katcher 12 CENTER POINT URBANA
11 Kay Fett 12 CENTER POINT URBANA
12 Emma Althoff 11 MONTICELLO
13 Ava Vance 10 BALLARD
14 Madison Prier 12 MARION
15 Ellie Kirby 12 WAHLERT CATHOLIC
16 Sydney Bochmann 10 WAVERLY-SHELL ROCK
17 Kaia Bieker 12 HARLAN
18 Ellie Meyer 12 WAHLERT CATHOLIC
19 Haidyn Barker 11 CLEAR CREEK AMANA
20 Maddie Demke 10 BISHOP HEELEN
21 Hannah Little 12 DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES
22 Jacie Trine 10 PELLA
23 Abby Bell 10 NORTH POLK
24 Abby Blint 12 MT PLEASANT
25 Tori Meinecke 10 NEVADA
26 Mary Fiala 11 SOLON
27 Anna Hoffman 12 MOUNT VERNON-LISBON
28 Meredith McDermott 11 DALLAS CENTER-GRIMES
29 Teah Miller 11 IOWA FALLS-ALDEN-AGWSR
30 Autumn Blink 10 PELLA
2A Boys
1 Ty Carr 12 DANVILLE-NEW LONDON
2 Alexander Julian 12 DANVILLE-NEW LONDON
3 Carson Houg 12 DES MOINES CHRISTIAN
4 Aaron Fynaardt 11 DES MOINES CHRISTIAN
5 Tage Hulstein 12 WESTERN CHRISTIAN
6 Carson Shively 12 DAVIS COUNTY
7 William Gillis 12 CENTRAL DECATUR, LEON
8 Harrison Garber 12 WILLIAMSBURG
9 Joey Hovinga 12 FOREST CITY
10 Ty Nichols 11 TIPTON
11 Cody Bohlmann 12 TIPTON
12 A J Bonnesen 11 DANVILLE-NEW LONDON
13 Nolan Evans 12 JESUP
14 Cole Dooley 12 Treynor
15 Shea Keister 11 ANAMOSA
16 Baylor Bergren 12 RED OAK
17 Nathan Limas 12 ROLAND-STORY
18 Gable Porter 11 UNDERWOOD
19 Dawson Bonnett 12 ALBIA
20 Nicolas Thompson 12 WEST MARSHALL
21 Brennan Sauser 12 OELWEIN
22 Noah DeWeerd 10 WESTERN CHRISTIAN
23 Cody Gilpin 12 MISSOURI VALLEY
24 Nathan O'Neil 11 WAUKON
25 Troy Butler 12 TIPTON
26 Sam Rich 11 WILLIAMSBURG
27 Kalen Hartbecke 11 WESTERN CHRISTIAN
28 Charlie Sieck 11 STARMONT
29 Uchan Harberts 10 WESTERN CHRISTIAN
30 Caleb Douma 10 WESTERN CHRISTIAN
2A Girls
1 Danielle Hostetler 10Mid-Prairie
2 Jaden Yoder 12 Mid-Prairie
3 Amber Homan 11 Denver
4 Clara Tiegland 11 Treynor
5 Amanda Treptow 12 Jesup
6 Ruth Jennings 12 Williamsburg
7 Emma Althoff 11 Monticello
8 Mitzi Evans 12 Mid-Prairie
9 ClareKelley 10 Van Meter
10 Clare Wright 10 Jesup
11 MariaKruse 10 Beckman Catholic
12 Sydney Yoder 12 Mid-Prairie
13 Kristyn Agnitsch 12 Cherokee
14 Mayson Hartley11 Clarinda
15 Taylor Kvale 12 Dike-New Hartford
16 Georgia Paulson 10 Underwood
17 Chloe Ristau 12 Denver
18 Zada Buchholtz 10 Williamsburg
19 Madison Brauer 11 Sibley-Ocheyedan
20 Alivia Edens 10 Tipton
21 Mary Kelley 10 Van Meter
22 London Rogge 12 Cherokee
23 Amaya Van Essen 12 Unity Christian
24 Erika Kuntz 12 Wc-Kp
25 Rebecca Hinderakker 10 Tipton
26 Bria Wasmund 11 Sibley-Ocheyedan
27 Katelyn Johnston 11 Osage
28 Taylor Winegarden 12 Williamsburg
29 Ellie Rathe 12 Union-Laporte City
30 Mackenzie Plagman 12 Starmont
1A Boys
1 Jayden Dickson 12 EARLHAM
2 Isaac Natvig 12 VALLEY LUTHERAN
3 Bryce McDonough 12 CENTRAL SPRINGS
4 Dominic Braet 12 EARLHAM
5 Payton Griebel 10 BELLEVUE
6 Doug Berg 11 NODAWAY VALLEY
7 Marcus Blount 11 PRINCE OF PEACE
8 Willie McGillis 12 CENTRAL DECATUR
9 Ethan Loutzenheiser 10 MADRID
10 Trevin Suhr 12 ACGC
11 Riley Witt 12 SAINT ANSGAR
12 Collin Lillie 11 ST. ALBERT
13 Bryson Grove 11 ENGLISH VALLEYS
14 Cy Huber 12 MAQUOKETA VALLEY
15 Nolan Ries 12 MAQUOKETA VALLEY
16 Omar Flores 11 SOUTH WINNESHIEK
17 Jordan King 11 OGDEN
18 Isaac Acosta 12 COLUMBUS
19 Justin Reinhart 11 ACGC
20 Adric Schmitz 11 VALLEY LUTHERAN
21 Ronan Jimenez 11 SOUTHEAST WARREN
22 Adam Knepper 11 CASCADE
23 Aaron Lursen 11 ST. EDMOND
24 Cody Gilpin 12 MISSOURI VALLEY
25 Kaden Thompson 12 ACGC
26 Joey Ringo 11 NEWMAN CATHOLIC
27 Landon Bendgen 10 WOODBINE
28 RC Hicks 12 WAYNE
29 Michael Schaul 12 MAQUOKETA VALLEY
30 Sam Brannon 12 SIOUXLAND CHRISTIAN
1A Girls
1 Haley Meyer 12 KEE, LANSING
2 Billie Wagner 11 SOUTH WINNESHIEK
3 Jalyssa Blazek 12 TURKEY VALLEY
4 Courtney Sporrer 12 LOGAN-MAGNOLIA
5 Addison Grady 12 HUDSON
6 Rylee Dunkin 11 TWIN CEDARS
7 Greenlee Smock 11 LYNVILLE-SULLY
8 Grace Lidgett 11 NORTH TAMA
9 Preslie Oswald 11 MANSON NW
10 Elie Tuhn 12 BAXTER
11 Reese Duncan 10 ST. ALBERT
12 Grace Slater 12 AUDUBON
13 Lily Dixon 11 EARLHAM
14 Lauren Steigledger 10 PEKIN
15 Holly Beauchamp 12 MARQUETTE CATHOLIC
16 Hunter Jones 11 NORTH CEDAR
17 Josie Tieskoetter 10 SOUTH WINNESHIEK
18 Mya Whitaker 11 REGINA
19 Ava VanDaele 10 WAPSIE VALLEY
20 Maddie Hansen 12 HUDSON
21 JoleeMesz 11 LAWTON-BRONSON
22 Sydnie Martin 12 WAPSIE VALLEY
23 Eryn Sabelka 12 SOUTH WINNESHIEK
24 Kayden Spencer 11 OGDEN
25 Hannah Landwehr 10 ST. EDMOND
26 Gabby Williamson 12 BELLEVUE
27 Clare Grau 10 MFL MARMAC
28 Lauren Derscheid 12 PEKIN
29 Kaylee Koos 12 MARQUETTE CATHOLIC
30 Jaylyn Walleser 11 KEE, LANSING
Lance Sobaski leads his Washington teammates in a run before the start of a race during the 202 season. Sobaski is ranked 15th in Class 3A in a 2021 preseason poll of coaches. (Doug Brenneman/Union)
Mid-Prairie's Danielle Hostetler leads the varsity girls race at the River Valley Conference cross-country meet at Monticello High School in 2020. Hostetler won in 18:44, leading the Golden Hawks to an overwhelming team title. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)
Washington's Lance Sobaski takes off from the start in the Class 3A boys 800-meter run at the Iowa high school track and field championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines on May 22. Sobaski is ranked 15th in Class 3A in a 2021 preseason poll of cross-country coaches. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)
Mt. Pleasant's Abby Blint (right), who is ranked in the cross-country coaches preseason poll, wrestles and defeats Davenport West's Jada Daily during the 106-weight seventh-place consolation bout of the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association's girls state tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville on Jan. 23. (Andy Abeyta/The Gazette)
Isaac Acosta
Pekin's Lauren Steigledger (390) runs during the 1A race at the Iowa High School State Cross Country Meet at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on Oct. 31, 2020. She is ranked 14th in a preseason poll of coaches. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Pekin's Lauren Dersheid runs at Fairfield's Waterworks Park in a 2019 meet and won the girls individual race in 2020 at Knoxville. She is ranked 28th in the preseason poll of coaches. (File)
