Danielle does it again!

FORT DODGE — Death, taxes and the Hostetler’s winning titles. Those three things have all seemed guaranteed over the better part of the last 10 years, and the ride didn’t stop on Friday in Fort Dodge.

Danielle Hostetler, a Class 2A individual champion in her freshman and sophomore year, did it again as a junior, winning her third-straight championship.

It is incredibly the 7th-straight state cross-country title for the Hostetler sisters, which began with Anna in 2016, stayed true with Marie for the next three years and now has went to Danielle for three more.

“All the glory to God,” Hostetler said after the race. “He really gives us the strength and the clarity in our mind. It's easy to get nervous and worked up, but you just take a deep breath and know it's all up to God, and just rely on your hard work.”

Hostetler crossed the tape in 18 minutes and 41 seconds, winning by 20 seconds, though she says she didn’t feel in the clear till she crossed the line.

“I never felt like that,” Hostetler said. “I kept getting told 11 seconds, 15 seconds. I just wanted to lengthen that, because at no point are you safe, until you cross the finish line.”

Hostetler now earns the chance to become only the second four-time state champion in girls’ cross-country. Only Rebekah Topham, a 2015 Griswold graduate, has done it before. That would also put Danielle at the top of the family tree, as Marie currently leads the way with three firsts and a second.

Unfortunately for the Golden Hawks as a team, it wasn’t a team championship for the five-time defending champs. Mid-Prairie, in fact, finished fifth.

“With Danielle, I knew she had a good shot, of course,” said Coach and father Mark Hostetler. “Somebody would have to run a really good race to beat her. I wasn't so concerned about that, as I was the team.”

Van Meter upended Mid-Prairie in the girls’ standings, scoring 111 to the Golden Hawks’ 157. Mid-Prairie was also defeated by Williamsburg, Monticello and Dyersville-Beckman.

Abby Fleming took 16th overall, finishing the race in 19:51.84. Phoebe Shetler was 44th. Dessa Poll took 82nd. Greta Sieren was 87th. Tabitha Evans finished 106th, and Amara Jones was 110th.

Class 2A Girls Results

Teams — 1. Van Meter 111, 2. Williamsburg 113, 3. Monticello 145, 4. Dyersville Beckman 154, 5. Mid-Prairie 157, 6. Tipton 179, 7. Denver 193, 8. New Hampton 231, 9. Cherokee 235, 10. Pella Christian 241, 11. Clarinda 243, 12. Unity Christian 249, 13. Albia 250, 14. Des Moines Christian 270, 15. GLR-Central Lyon 296.

Individuals — 1. Danielle Hostetler (Mid-Prairie), 18:41; 2. Katelyn Johnston (Osage), 19:01; 3. Clare Kelly (Van Meter), 19:05; 4. Mackenzie Wilson (Jesup), 19:14; 5. Hillary Trainor (Sumner-Fredericksburg), 19:19; 6. Mayson Hartley (Clarinda), 19:21; 7. Kinze Shea (Crestwood), 19:28; 8. Campbelle Kolbet (New Hampton), 19:33; 9. Katelyn Krieger (Spirit Lake), 19:37; 10. Julia Mertz (Beckman), 19:45; 11. Zada Buchholtz (Williamsburg), 19:46; 12. McKenna Montgomery (Albia), 19:47; 13. Maryn Frein (Okoboji), 19:48; 14. Katie Young (Unity Christian), 19:50; 15. Emma Althoff (Monticello), 19:51; 16. Abby Fleming (Mid-Prairie), 19:51; 17. Bailey Vos (Unity Christian), 20:02; 18. Emma McCoy (Van Meter), 20:03; 19. Mary Kelly (Van Meter), 20:12; 20. Chloe Judisch (South Central Calhoun), 20:15.