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Swartzentruber state champ, Hostetler 5th
Mid-Prairie cross-country continues to pile up state cross-country accolades
FORT DODGE — The Mid-Prairie cross-country program had won an unprecedented seven-straight individual titles coming into this weekend’s state meet. Those wins, however, had all been on the girls’ side.
On Saturday, Golden Hawk junior Emmett Swartzentruber kept the streak going, all while making some school history of his own. Swartzentruber crossed first at the Class 2A boys’ state championship race, the first Mid-Prairie boy to ever win the title.
Swartzentruber made up 17 spots between the one mile and two mile mark to jump out into first place before the final third of the race. He then had to hold off Denver’s Neal Pinter, Okoboji Milford’s Evan Osler, Des Moines Christian’s Collin Houg and Clarinda’s Kyle Wagoner, who were all on his tail down the final stretch.
“To be honest, I wasn't thinking much,” Swartzentruber said. “I was just going.”
As the Golden Hawk junior crossed the line, he let out a breath of fresh air, and a fist pump, as he celebrated a historic state title.
“I was just like, 'I can do this. I've got to hold on. I've got to show these guys what I can do,” Swartzentruber said.
Swartzentruber, who began running cross-country in seventh grade, led his Golden Hawk squad to a 10th-place finish as a team. Mid-Prairie scored 231 points.
“I owed it to myself,” Swartzentruber said. “I owed it to my team. I owed it to everyone who came here to support.”
Preston Yutzy finished 39th overall, crossing the tape in 17:06.0. Jayse Yoder took 86th, in 17:57.7. Maxon Swartzentruber took 95th, in 18:03.9. Jesse Stultz was 100th, in 18:16. Daniel Rodgers took 114th, in 18:39.9, and Jacob Donaldson was 116th, in 18:51.3.
In the preceding race, Mid-Prairie senior Danielle Hostetler was looking for a historic fourth state championship. Hostetler didn’t quite hit the mark, but still grabbed her fourth Top-5 finish, taking fifth.
“I ran as hard as I could,” Hostetler said. “It was good to have good competition, and I'm really thankful to God for helping me stay mentally tough, and stay in the race.”
Hostetler crossed the tape in 18:55.3. Among the four runners to top her was Sumner-Fredericksburg’s Hillary Trainor, the first non-Hostetler to win the Class 2A race since 2015.
“That's just what happens,” Hostetler said. “There's people that are faster than you.”
Anna Hostetler won the meet in 2016. Marie followed with a three-peat, and Danielle won her first three years in high school.
After the race, Hostetler reflected on all the years of spending a fall weekend in Fort Dodge.
“I've come here since I was little, and I would watch my sisters,” Hostetler said. “I was so excited to run some day. The past four years have been a lot of injuries, a lot of heartbreak, but a lot of really good things. Fun memories with my teammates. Wins and losses. I'm just so thankful.”
Hostetler led Mid-Prairie to a fourth-place finish. The Golden Hawks scored 122 points for fourth, just three points out of the Top-3.
Freshman Brooklyn Stutzman was the second Mid-Prairie runner across, taking 37th place, in 20:25. Abby Fleming was close behind in 43rd, crossing in 20:31.7.
Greta Sieren took 45th, in 20:32.8. Kendal Landstrum was 51st, in 20:37.3. Phoebe Shetler finished 53rd, in 20:39.3, and Annika Poll was 93rd, in 21:34.7.
