Yoder, Bainbridge win in Fairfield

FAIRFIELD — A full stock of cross-country teams met in Fairfield on Thursday, as 20 different schools were on hand for the Trojans’ home invitational at Waterworks Park.

The Union area didn’t have a team champion in any of the four categories, but both varsity races were won by individuals from the coverage area.

In the girls’ race, Hillcrest Academy’s Marie Yoder won a tough battle against a strong field, beating all sorts of elements to finish on top.

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Yoder ran neck-and-neck with Washington’s Iris Dahl and Fort Madison’s Avery Rump, as the three returning state qualifiers gave each other everything they could handle, but it was Yoder who crossed first, crossing thee line in 20 minutes, 21.057 seconds.

“I was just really trying to push it as hard as I could,” Yoder said. “I was just trying to stay calm and keep up the effort.”

Yoder beat Dahl to the line, but the Washington junior was the top runner of the big schools. Dahl crossed in 20:28.717.

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“Last meet was kind of really rough,” Dahl said. “The key for today was just to tell myself, 'only a mile left. You've done this before.'”

The leaders of the race had to deal with unusual circumstances midway through. As the runners approached the turn to the lake for the final time, a herd of deer dashed across the track, nearly knocking into athletes who were battling for position.

“There was one that ran right in front of Avery and I,” Dahl said. “We were running side-by-side and it was like, 'whoosh!' We just started laughing.”

Rump fell back to sixth, but she was surrounded by Bloodhounds, as Fort Madison took the girls’ Class 3A/4A race with 25 points. Washington finished second, with 44, helped out by a ninth-place finish by Quincy Griffis, a 10th-place finish by Lauren Horak and an 11th place result from Alyvia Anderson.

Mt. Pleasant was fifth, led by a 12th-place finish by Quintree Lee and a 21st-place finish by Bella Dodds. Fairfield took sixth, led by Caroline Van Pelt’s 16th-plce finish. Alexa Jo Steward took 20th.

Yoder’s win helped Hillcrest nip Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont by one point for second in the 1A/2A standings. Siena Stanerson and Rya Scott finished sixth and seventh. Cardinal took sixth, led by Alexis Bissell, who took 20th.

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The boys’ race was a battle at the front all day long, but it was Van Buren County’s Lincoln Bainbridge that broke out late. Bainbridge won the race in 16:52, taking the win by just over eight seconds.

“I just had to maintain good position, get the insides of the turns and don't get trapped behind anybody,” Bainbridge said. “And just keep feeling not gassed. That's the main point.”

Bainbridge’s big day helped VBC take second in the 1A/2A standings, scoring 47 points, just eight behind first-place Danville. Landry Loeffler took sixth overall, and Gavin Noll finished 10th.

“We didn't really lose anybody last year, so I knew our team was going to be pretty talented coming up this year,” Bainbridge said. “We're pretty low in the rankings so far, but we're just trying to work our way up.”

Hillcrest Academy placed fourth in the 1A/2A boys’ standings, thanks in part to Jese Blossom crossing in 11th, and Micah Gerber crossing in 12th.

Winfield-Mount Union took fifth, with Kohlby Newsom scooping up a fourth-place individual finish. Jaacob Nelson took 20th. The Cardinal boys, led by Kyran Spes’ 26th-place result, finished seventh.

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Washington was tops for the area on the big school boys’ side, taking third place, with 88 points. Andrew Rees and Tyler Alderton were second and third, finishing in 17:13 and 17:14 respectively.

The hosting Trojans were fifth in the 3A/4A boys’ standings thanks in part to a 21st-place finish by Solomon Clauson and a 22nd-place finish by Aaden Regur.

Mt. Pleasant’s Locken Henderson had a nice race, crossing in seventh. That, and a 24th-place finish by Silas Hulett, led the Panthers to an eighth-place result overall.

3A/4A GIRLS' TEAM SCORES

1. Fort Madison 25

2. Washington 44

3. Oskaloosa 82

4. Ottumwa 123

5. Mt. Pleasant 135

6. Fairfield 141

1A/2A GIRLS' TEAM SCORES

1. Danville 33

2. Hillcrest Academy 65

3. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremeont 66

4. Mediapolis 76

5. Lone Tree 118

6. Cardinal 152

7. Chariton 178

3A/4A BOYS' TEAM SCORES

1. Central DeWitt 25

2. Fort Madison 74

3. Washington 88

4. Oskaloosa 91

5. Fairfield 145

6. Ottumwa 167

7. Burlington 182

8. Mt. Pleasant 189

1A/2A BOYS' TEAM SCORES

1. Danville 39

2. Van Buren County 47

3. Mediapolis 64

4. Hillcrest Academy 108

5. Winfield-Mount Union 122

6. West Burlington-Notre Dame 158

7. Cardinal 178

8. Wapello 207