Central captures four team championships at UIC meet
The boys varsity team was one of four Central teams to win a conference championship on Oct. 16. Pictured at the starting line (left to right) are Henry Reimer, Michael White, Jesse Polkinghorn and Carson Ruegnitz. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Hannah Friedlein (left) was 67th at the Upper Iowa Conference meet with a 26:39.9, while Lilly Becwar ran course best 26:47.6, placing 71st.
Declan Finley placed 36th with a time of 19:26.1 at the Upper Iowa Conference meet.
Payton Stannard turned in a career and course best 23:15.0, which was good for 33rd place at the conference meet.
By Audrey Posten | Times-Register
Twelve of 17 Central cross country runners turned in either career-, season or course-best times at the Upper Iowa Conference cross country meet, held Oct. 16 at the Elkader Golf and Country Club.
“By far the biggest highlight of our conference meet was our entire team taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the structure of our new conference. With the addition of three new teams (Waukon, New Hampton and Crestwood), we divided our conference into six large schools and six small schools. We were able to have one of our best meets at just the right time and captured four team championships,” said assistant coach Martha Bauder.
Central’s junior high boys were tops among all teams, not just the small schools, while the JV boys earned a perfect score of 15 for first place. At the varsity level, the Warrior boys were first in the small school division and fourth of all teams and the girls were first in the small school division.
“So every single one of our runners was part of a championship team,” Bauder commented.
Medalists Carson Ruegnitz and Jesse Polkinghorn led the Warrior boys, placing a respective 13th and 16th with times of 18:14.1 and 18:23.4. That was a season best for Ruegnitz and course best for Polkinghorn.
Henry Reimer was next in 25th place, turning in a career best time of 19:01.6, followed by Tyce Zittergruen in the 31st slot with a 19:14.6. Declan Finley and Cruz Healy placed a respective 36th and 40th on times of 19:26.1 and 19:31.6. Finley’s time was a career best. Michael White posted a career best 20:01.6 for 46th place and Breckon Holst crossed the line 50th in a course best 20:22.8. Lucas Friedlein was 61st at 21:11.9, Bryce Heller 64th at 21:23.8 and Griffin Koehn 74th at 22:40.4. Those were career best times for Koehn and Friedlein, while Heller had a season best.
White, Holst, Friedlein, Heller and Koehn all earned ribbons.
In the girls varsity race, Blair Scherf ran her way to 23rd with Central’s top time of 22:15.6—a course best for her. Payton Stannard turned in a career and course best 23:15.0, which was good for 33rd place, while Hannah Friedlein was 67th with a 26:39.9. Lilly Becwar ran her best on the course, with a 26:47.6, placing 71st, while Mya Gregerson was 83rd thanks to a time of 27:51.6.
This week, the Warriors head to the Class 1A state qualifying meet hosted by Starmont on Thursday, Oct. 23. Action begins at 4 p.m.
