Mid-Prairie, Mt. Pleasant off and running in Pella

PELLA — A pair of area cross-country teams took part in the Central College cross-country meet in Pella over the weekend, as both Mid-Prairie and Mt. Pleasant made the trip west to battle in a stacked field.

The Mid-Prairie boys brought home a championship in the small school portion of the boys’ event, and the girls won on the small school side as well, giving the Golden Hawks a perfect day.

The Mid-Prairie boys scored 34 points, defeating four other teams in the small school ranks, including second-place Pella Christian, which scored 49.

Emmett Swartzendruber crossed the line second among small school boys, reaching the finish in 17 minutes and 25.4 seconds. Jayse Yoder was fifth. Nathan Wallington took eighth. Blake Creed was ninth. Preston Yutzy finished 10th. Jordan Stock took 16th, and Daniel Rodgers finished 18th.

Mt. Pleasant placed seventh in the big school boys race, scoring 176 points, which finished 13 behind Oskaloosa for sixth.

The Panthers’ top runner was Ben Carthey, who took 15th place with a time of 17 minutes, 53.6 seconds. Freshman Jude Dykstra got off to a nice start in his high school running career, running 18:50.5, for 31st.

Also for Mt. Pleasant, Tyler Johnson took 41st place. Coleman Mowery finished 43rd. Locken Henderson was 46th. Jakin Bunnell took 47th, and Gavin Slagel ended in 49th.

The Mid-Prairie girls took the small school race by an astounding 46 points, scoring 20 total with every runner finishing Top-14.

Danielle Hostetler was back at it again with the wins, crossing the finish line in 19 minutes, 12.8 seconds for the top time among small school girls. Abby Fleming finished second, with a time of 21:20.

Phoebe Shetler and Greta Sieren placed fourth and fifth respectively for the Mid-Prairie girls. Annika Poll took seventh, putting all five Golden Hawk juniors in the Top-7. Sophomores Ivy Reschly and Dessa Poll took 10th and 14th respectively.

On the big school girls side, Mt. Pleasant finished sixth, scoring 156. The Panthers got a great run out of freshman Emma Welcher, who crossed the tape in 22 minutes, 16.3 seconds for 16th.

Audrey Lord finished 26th for the Panther girls. Ella McNamee was 31st. Jayden Housh finished 39th. Tatum Kane was 44th, and Nelle Peterson crossed in 46th.

BIG SCHOOL BOYS STANDINGS: 1. North Polk 38; 2. Pella 39; 3. Glenwood 75; 4. ADM 87; 5. Bondurant-Farrar 157; 6. Oskaloosa 163; 7. Mt. Pleasant 176.

SMALL SCHOOL BOYS STANDINGS: 1. Mid-Prairie 34; 2. Pella Christian 49; 3. Lynnville-Sully 80; 4. Collins-Maxwell 81; 5. Baxter 122.

BIG SCHOOL GIRLS STANDINGS: 1. ADM 29; 2. Pella 32; 3. North Polk 68; 4. Bondurant-Farrar 146; 5. Oskaloosa 147; 6. Mt. Pleasant 156; 7. Waterloo West 182.

SMALL SCHOOL GIRLS STANDINGS: 1. Mid-Prairie 20; 2. Pella Christian 66; 3. Lynnville-Sully 90; 4. Collins-Maxwell 91; 5. Eddyville-Blakesburg 94.