Strong start is not enough at qualifying meet

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn cross country runners performed well at the 1A state qualifying meet on Oct. 24 at Holstein. But the quality of the competition left the Hawks on the outside in terms of advancing any runners to the state meet.

The Hawk boys started well and were in a good position through the midpoint of the race.

"The course had a pretty decent incline to start the race and I thought our guys did a really nice job with that and set themselves up well," said Hawk coach Naet Hoaglund. "I was pleased with where we were as a team after the first 1,000 meters through about the halfway point of the race. We were fairly consistent with our top five or six runners through that point in the race."

Easton Teal eventually separated himself from his teammates and placed 28th, running a time of 19:23.

"Easton's preparation led him to finish as high as he did. He takes the workouts seriously and completes them the way they are prescribed," Hoaglund noted. "Easton isn't afraid to get out of his comfort zone so whether it's practice or a race, he's always challenging himself and competing."

As was the case for much of the season, a group of Hawk runners finished together. They were Ryan Grotluschen, 48th, 20:11; Damian Dodge, 49th, 20:12; Aiden Bush, 50th, 20:13; James Carlin, 51st, 20:15; and Blaine Finster, 55th, 20:54. H-M-S's seventh runner, Carter Dolphin, finished 83rd (23:33).

Teams advancing to the state meet are Ogden (34 points) and Sioux Central (59). The other team scores were Sibley-Ocheyedan 88, Ridge View 121, Alta-Aurelia 149, H-M-S (sixth) 206, South O'Brien 210, Akron-Westfield 214, MMCRU 234, Newell-Fonda 235, Trinity Christian 282, Gehlen Catholic 292 and Westwood 360.

"It was a solid field with some good teams and really strong runners," Hoaglund acknowledged. "We knew we'd have to run out of our minds to be in the mix. Unfortunately, we didn't compete to be in the mix."

For the Hawk girls, Kamryn Ebel placed 22nd (23:20) while freshman Brooklyn Erickson finished 48th (27:09).

"Kamryn ran a solid race. I thought she had a pretty good start and was in a decent position," Hoaglund said. "She did a lot of her work in that second mile. I thought she was consistent and relaxed throughout and competed hard. She ran very confidently which was fun to see."

The battle for the girls' team title was a close one, as Alta-Aurelia finished first with 49 points and Sioux Central was second with 51.

"Overall I'm proud of the growth and team and individual accomplishments earned this season," Hoaglund said. "I thought our kids worked and competed hard. I'm thankful for our senior runners and all they've given this program."

The seniors on this year's squad are Kamryn Ebel, Gracie Knobloch, Aiden Bush, Damian Dodge, Blaine Finster, Moises Gonzalez and Ryan Grotluschen.