IMS takes 3rd, girls 5th

MEDIAPOLIS - Columbus, WACO, Highland and Iowa Mennonite School ran cross-country Thursday at the Mediapolis Invitational at Big Hollow Recreation area

The meet was moved from its normal venue of Heritage Oaks Golf and Country club due to wet conditions.

'Mediapolis did a good job of securing a location and establishing a new course at the last minute,” IMS coach Martin Gingerich said.

The course included gravel roads and more technical trails.

'Most of our runners loved the more challenging course,” Gingerich said.

IMS' Brian Nchoe placed fourth as IMS took third in the boys race. Leah Bontrager led the IMS' girls to fifth with a 15 placing.

Nchoe had his highest finish of the season. John Hughes was the second finisher for the maroon and black.

Brady Millikin and Colten Glosser of Pekin went 1-2 in 17:45 to win the race. Pekin won the team title with 30 points.

The Iowa Mennonite girls' team saw four new season-best efforts on the challenging course. Sarena Gerber ran the entire race close to Bontrager and finished with a career-best effort. Esther Hughes' personal improvement was even greater. Julia Boller also saw a huge improvement and Rachel Geyer was the team's fifth finisher.

'This was Geyer's best race of the year,” Gingerich said. 'With the addition of Geyer to our lineup and Highland missing their fifth runner, Iowa Mennonite was able to be just four points behind the Huskies. This spread was forty-five points just one week ago at the conference meet.”

Addy Parrott and Lexi Brown of Danville-New London finished first and second in the girls race with times of 20:26 and 20:40, leading their team to the team title over Pekin.

The Iowa Mennonite, WACO, Columbus, Highland and Keota girls and boys cross-country teams will compete in the Class 1A state qualifier meet hosted by Regina at the Kickers Soccer Complex south of Iowa City Thursday.

The top three teams and fifteen individuals in each race qualify to advance to the state meet held in Fort Dodge Saturday, Oct. 27.

The girls race starts at 4 p.m. and the boys race at 4:30 p.m.

BOYS' team scores: 1. Pekin 30, 2. Danville/New London 53, 3. Iowa Mennonite 133, 4. West Burlington-Notre Dame 137, 5. Lone Tree 148, 6. Columbus 157, 7. WACO 192, 8. Holy Trinity 301, 10. Central Lee 334

IMS: 4. Brian Nchoe 18:52, 23. John Hughes 20:16, 29. Jacob Boller 20:44, 38. Noah Miller 21:35, 47. Aaron Hershberger 22:19

GIRLS' team scores: 1. Danville/New London 37, 2. Pekin 41, 3. Mediapolis 99, 4. Highland 123, 5. Iowa Mennonite 127

IMS: 15. Leah Bontrager 22:59, 17. Sarena Gerber 23:04, 25. Esther Hughes 24:34, 44. Julia Boller 27:18, 48. Rachel Geyer 27:53