Top stars, best performances in Iowa girls cross country last week
By Barry Poe | Photo by Matthew Putney
Danielle Hostettler has a chance to achieve something that Greenlee Smock accomplished.
Currently ranked first in the Iowa Association of Track Coaches Class 2A girls cross country ratings, Hostettler could become a four-time River Valley Conference champion.
Last Tuesday at Iowa City, the Mid-Prairie High School junior was clocked in 19:28.4 while winning her third straight RCC championship. Now that this has been accomplished, Hostettler’s goal is set on this week’s 2A state qualifier meet so she can defend last year’s 2A state championship.
Smock, a 19th-ranked (1A) senior from Lynnville-Sully, won her fourth consecutive South Iowa Cedar League championship, timed in 21:42.88.
This week, SBLive.com salutes Hostettler, Smock and the girls who won conference titles throughout Iowa. Incidentally, not all the state’s conferences are represented in this report.
Danielle Hostettler, Jr., Mid-Prairie
The defending Class 2A state champion won a third consecutive River Valley Conference title, clocked in 19:28.4 at Iowa City, winning by 39 seconds over teammate Abby Fleming. Hostettler will now aim for a third consecutive 2A state-qualifier championship on Thursday at Pella.
Paityn Noe, Sr., Ballard
Ranked first in Class 3A, the defending 3A state champ ran under 18 minutes (17:33.5) for the seventh time this season, en route to winning a third straight Raccoon River Conference title at Adel. She will compete in a 3A qualifier at Pella Wednesday where she’ll face young state-ranked competition.
Addison Dorenkamp, Jr., West Des Moines Valley
The top-ranked and defending Class 4A state champion finished first (18:05.7) and defeated defending CIML Conference (Valley Division) champ Olivia Verde (18:41.5) of Johnston on Verde’s home course. Dorenkamp will aim for her seventh win of the season in Wednesday’s 4A qualifier at Council Bluffs.
Greenlee Smock, Sr., Lynnville-Sully
Make that four consecutive South Iowa Cedar League championships for the 19th-ranked (Class 1A) Smock, who was timed in 21:42.88 on Tuesday in Sigourney, winning by a minute and a half over teammate Olivia Norrish. Smock will compete in a 1A qualifier at Leon Thursday.
Noelle Steines, So., Calamus-Wheatland
Steines’ comeback from an off-season knee injury continued at Troy Mills, where she recorded a second straight Tri-Rivers Conference title, timed in 18:58, 22 seconds faster than her season debut at Central DeWitt. The defending 1A state champion will compete in a 1A qualifier at Cascade Thursday.
Adrienne Buettner-Cable, Sr., Des Moines Roosevelt
Ranked second in Class 4A, Buettner-Cable is beginning to peak, based on her first place (and season-best) time of 17:52.5 at the Iowa Alliance Conference Championships in Marshalltown. It was the third title of season for Buettner-Cable, who will return to Marshalltown for Wednesday’s 4A qualifying meet.
Lourdes Mason, Sr., Mount Vernon-Lisbon
Mason’s fourth straight win was huge, clocked in 18:51.4 while winning the WaMaC Conference at Solon. All four for the No. 2 (Class 3A) Mason have been under 19 minutes and three of those have been over No. 7 (3A) Kayla Young of Solon. Mason will run in a 3A qualifier at Washington.
Katelyn Johnston, Sr., Osage
Johnston enjoyed a decisive victory, defeating two state-ranked opponents by 45 seconds while defending her Top of Iowa Conference championship. Timed in 19:01 at Mason City, the No. 2 (Class 2A) Johnston has seven victories on the season going into Thursday’s 2A state qualifier meet in Oelwein.
Madison Brouwer, Sr., Sibley-Ocheyedan
Brouwer won her sixth meet of the season, clocked in 19:33.36 as she defended her Siouxland Conference championship and the No. 4 (Class 1A) Generals defended their team title at Arnolds Park. Second-ranked in 1A, last year’s 2A state runner-up will run at Thursday’s 1A state qualifier in Holstein.
Clare Kelly, Sr., Van Meter
Kelly, who is third-ranked (Class 2A) repeated as the West Central Activities Conference champ and the No. 3 Kelly won her third straight league title, clocked in 19:36.35 at Panorama. It was the third win of the season for Kelly, who will run in a 2A state qualifying meet Thursday in Shenandoah.
Lindsey Sonderman, So., Harlan
Sonderman’s fourth consecutive win proved to be the most valuable to date as she had her top time (18:46.41) in that stretch, doing it while defending her Hawkeye 10 Conference title. Fourth-ranked in Class 3A, Sonderman heads into Wednesday’s 3A qualifier at Harlan with seven season triumphs.
Grace Boelyn, So., Pleasant Valley
The No. 3 (Class 4A) Boelyn has a long-term goal of four straight Mississippi Athletic Conference titles, but for now, she’ll settle on one meet at a time. Clocked in 18:46.41 while leading No. 2 Pleasant Valley to a first-place 20 points at Davenport, Boelyn will run in a 4A qualifier on the home course.
Julia Gehl, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead
The first four to exit the finish chute came from top-ranked and defending Class 4A state champion Hempstead, led by No. 4 Julia Gehl, who was first (18:17.1) and won a second straight Mississippi Athletic Conference (Mississippi Division) title. Gehl will run at the 4A qualifier Wednesday in Dubuque.
Marissa Ferebee, Fr., Pella
The state’s highest-ranked freshman (5th, Class 3A) could be something special by the time she’s a senior, as she won the Little Hawkeye Conference title (19:17.3), 54 seconds faster than defending champ Breelie Mauro of Norwalk. Ferebee will run the 3A qualifier at her home course Thursday.
Hillary Trainor, Jr., Sumner-Fredericksburg
Ranked sixth in Class 2A, Trainor escaped with a narrow victory during the North Iowa Cedar League meet in La Porte City where she was timed in 19:19.55, while Jesup’s No. 4 (2A) Mackenzie Wilson was second (19:21.37). Trainor has four wins going into Thursday’s 2A state qualifier at Monticello.
Avery Rump, Fr., Fort Madison
One of six freshman ladies from across the state to win a conference meet last week, the No. 9 (Class 3A) Rump claimed her fifth win of the season, timed in 19:56.05 during the Southeast Conference meet at Fairfield. Rump will aim for a 3A state berth during Wednesday’s qualifying meet at Washington.
Peyton Morey, So., Spencer
Morey improved vastly on last year’s runner-up 20:13.4 time when she won the Lakes Conference crown at Estherville, timed in 19:20.69, as No. 15 (Class 3A) Spencer defended its league championship, scoring 33 point. Ranked 13th, Morey will run a 3A state-qualifier meet at Humboldt on Wednesday.
Campbelle Kolbet, Sr., New Hampton
A preview of this Thursday’s Class 2A state qualifier in Oelwein occurred at the Northeast Conference meet in New Hampton, where the home team’s No. 7-ranked Campbelle Kolbet took first (19:39.79) and Crestwood’s No. 10 Kinze Shea was second (20:07.25). It was Kolbet’s second victory of the season.
Nakia Ollivierre, Fr., Iowa Falls-Alden/Wellsburg-Steamboat Rock
Ollivierre may only be a freshman, but she’s gained much experience and knows her competition well. Her fifth win of the season (19:49.73) came over defending North Central Conference champion Addison Doughan of Clear Lake (20:19.17). The No. 9 Olivierre will run at the 3A qualifier in Pella.
Makenna Montgomery, Fr., Albia
Albia’s girls cross country program has produced the South Central Conference’s last two team and individual champions. Ranked 16th in Class 2A, Montgomery won (20:48.27), defeating her sophomore teammate Serene Thompson (21:21.52). She will run in a 2A qualifier Thursday at Pella Christian.
Allysen Johnsen, Fr., Logan-Magnolia
No Madison Sporrer? No problem as the 13th-ranked (Class 1A) Johnsen was timed in 21:04.22 while winning the Western Iowa Conference title and helping No. 1 Lo-Ma defend its team title. Saturday’s winner at Missouri Valley (19:43.1), Johnsen will compete at Thursday’s 2A qualifier in Corning.
Jolee Mesz, Sr., Lawton-Bronson
Mesz claimed her fifth victory of the season, clocked in 19:37.31 while winning her second straight Western Valley Conference title, as the Eagles outscored Ridge View 43-53 to win the meet at Moville. Ranked 21st in Class 1A, Mesz will compete in Thursday’s 1A state qualifier at Holstein.
Billie Wagner, Sr., South Winneshiek
Third-ranked (Class 1A) South Winneshiek outscored North Fayette 32-50 while repeating as the Upper Iowa Conference champion, led by the No. 19 Wagner, the individual champion (20:24.9). It was the fourth win of the season for Wagner, who will compete Thursday at the 1A state qualifier in Cascade.
Keirra Hess, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie
Last year’s Mississippi Valley Conference (Valley Division) runner-up, Hess was clocked in 18:39 while winning the meet at Waterloo. Unranked in Class 4A, Hess won by 23 seconds. The returning 4A state qualifier will compete in a 4A state qualifier Wednesday at Pleasant Valley.
Claire Truesdell, So., Roland-Story
Unranked in Class 2A, Truesdell was the Heart of Iowa Conference runner-up as a freshman, then won the league crown a year later, timed in 21:13.46 during action in State Center. Truesdell, who won her first meet of the season, will compete in a 2A state qualifier Thursday in Oelwein.
Katie Young, Fr., Unity Christian
Unity Christian has won numerous War Eagle Conference girls team championships thanks to efforts like it showed with four Top 5 runners at Hawarden. Leading the way with a victory was the unranked (Class 2A) Young (21:54.20), who will compete in a 2A qualifier Thursday on the home course in Orange City.
