Fedler, Bainbridge win at Fairfield invite

The early evening sun beamed on the back of runners’ necks as they emerged from the woods and rounded the final corner of the "Ron Hunerdosse" Cross Country Invite on Wednesday. The early fall heat was fitting for a competitive meet that featured a bevy of Union area teams.

Mount Pleasant’s Avery Fedler was unfazed by the elements and the competition. The standout freshman cruised to first place in the girls race with a time of 19:11.56.

“Just to let [other runners] do the work,” Fedler said of her race mindset. “Get out there and just feed off other people’s energy and try to not do it all by myself.”

Mount Pleasant finished sixth place in the team scores for Class 3A/4A with 114 points. Sophomore Quintrie Lee took sixth overall at 20:56.9.

Fort Madison finished first in 3A/4A team scoring with 33 points. Washington took second with 63 points. Demons junior Iris Dahl finished fifth overall at 20:56.8. Kora Miller came in ninth place at 21:51.9.

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Van Buren County (16 points) took home team honors for Class 1A/2A. Rylee Philips (22:30.4) was the best runner on the night for a Warriors girls team that has taken first place in its last three meets.

“I’m just so proud of them,” said Lucinda DeHart, who coaches both the girls and boys teams. “And they’re so competitive. They’re competitive with each other so they push each other, but it’s not in mean spirit. [The] team camaraderie, we have the the best here.”

It was VBC sweep as the Warriors also took first place among the boys 1A/2A teams with 39 points. The VBC boys now have two first place team finishes this season.

Senior Lincoln Bainbridge led the way in the boys race. He, jockeyed for first place just past the halfway point with Washington’s Andrew Rees and Fort Madison’s Riley Tripp, but pulled away to win with a time of 17:01.4.

“I came through there and my dad was on the corner and we had been working on this all season, just keep pushing, keep grinding, get in the right head space,” Bainbridge said, “I just looked at him and nodded my head. I was like, ‘I feel good. I’m going to go.’”

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Fort Madison also went 2 of 2 with victories for its girls and boys teams. The Bloodhounds led the 3A/4A squads on the boys side with with 30 points.

Washington finished second in 3A/4A with 59 points. Rees led the Demons with a fourth-place finish at 17:27.8. Jack Shepherd finished 12th at 18:37.5.

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Mount Pleasant’s Silas Hulett also had a strong race with a sixth-place finish at 17:58.9. The Panthers finished sixth in team scoring with 154 points. Fairfield took fifth with 146 points. John Miller was the Trojans’ best runner at 20:03.5.

Full list of team scores from the Fairfield Invite:

Girls 1A/2A

1. Van Buren County - 16 points

2. Lone Tree - 49 points

3. Cardinal - 75 points

4. Chariton - 85 points

Girls 3A/4A

1. Ft. Madison - 33 points

2. Washington - 63 points

3. Oskaloosa - 92 points

4. Keokuk - 101 points

5. Ottumwa - 111 points

6. Mt. Pleasant - 114 points

Boys 1A/2A

1. Van Buren County – 39 points

2. West Burlington/Notre Dame – 42 points

3. Hillcrest Academy – 81 points

4. Cardinal – 113 points

5. New London – 137 points

6. Lone Tree – 150 points

7. Highland – 177 points

8. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont – 194 points

Boys 3A/4A

1.Ft. Madison – 30 points

2. Washington – 59 points

3. Burlington – 100 points

4. Oskaloosa – 106 points

5. Fairfield – 146 points

6. Mt Pleasant – 154 points

7.Ottumwa – 170 points

8. Keokuk – 172 points