Pekin girls glide past SEISC field with near perfect score

KALONA ? In a fashion that was beyond dominant, the Pekin girls? cross country team took the top four places and went home a conference title at Thursday?s Southeast Iowa Super Conference meet at IMS.

In the rain, mud and cold, the Panthers put the elements aside and took off for a near perfect score in the win. Brenna Conger (16:09) led the Pekin charge as the individual conference champ followed by three more teammates ? Kaitlin Spilman (16:17), Celsey Conger (16:18) and Maleaha Earnest (16:20) ? in an 11 second span. Kristen Freeman (17:02) turned in an eighth-place finish to complete the conference champion team score. Annie Jones (11th, 17:26) and Emma Nelson (19th, 18:26) were no slouches as the Panther alternates.

?On a muddy course and a cold night, our team really came to run. They competed hard the entire way,? said head coach Davis Eidahl. ?What we tried to do was start fast, stay in a group and keep up the pace the entire way.?

The Panthers also took the first seven slots of the JV race led by Victoria Eckley in first with a time of 18:01.

The Class 2A second-ranked Panthers will have one final tune up Saturday at Lake Darling before beginning the run for another state title at next Thursday?s regional meet in Columbus.

Van Buren, led by Whitney Atwood in 29th-place, finished fifth in the final team standings while Cardinal was 11th paced by Lindsay Albert in 52nd (20:47).

On the boys? side, Class 1A third-ranked IMS took home the team title as Pekin came up with fifth. Philip Laux led the Panthers in 16th-place (18:29) followed by Colton Dunning (33rd, 19:49), 34. Leonardo Mascagni (34th, 19:53), Jacob Cooley (36th, 19:54) and Chase Earnest (20:25).

Cardinal took 10th as a team with senior Raymond Booth running 29th in 19:38.

With No. 1 runner Brad Goehring still battling a hamstring injury, the Warriors finished in ninth-place as a team led by ninth-place Ben Moews. Zack Pilcher also ran well for Van Buren in 20th.

Both Van Buren and Cardinal are now set for their district and regional meets, which will be next Thursday at Wapello.

Full area results from Thursday?s SEISC meet are at right: