Getting back to the top

Of the 31 members of this fall’s Creston Cross Country team, 22 received varsity letters as coaches Pat Schlapia and Gary O’Daniels handed out awards at Sunday’s banquet.

Schlapia thanked the booster club, volunteers at the home meet, those who helped facilitate use of the Crestmoor Golf Club and the area around Southwestern Community College for practice and the home meet, managers, the athletic training staff and more.

The Panthers celebrated the careers of senior runners Dylan Linch, Sophia Groumoutis and Danielle Castillo, as well as manager Kiersten Latham.

This year’s squad also featured three state qualifiers in Brielle Baker, Braelyn Baker and Clayton Stafford.

Schlapia constantly preaches about wanting his team’s season to end on that last day in late October, as it did again this season with the three state participants.

Just as much as seeing kids excel at that level brings Schlapia pride, seeing athletes out for the sport for a number of reasons leaves him just as happy.

“One thing I like about cross country, we had three of them go up to state cross country this year. We had some of them go out to get ready for basketball and wrestling. We had some kids go out (for the sport) for it of the heck of it,” Schlapia said.

Highlights other than the state meet included the Panther girls team winning their first Perry meet since 1992 (the last season the girls program qualified for state), the girls finishing second at DCG, and third at the home meet.

The Panther boys featured Linch as the lone senior, while the rest of the roster included a continually improving bunch of freshmen and sophomores.

“I think here with the boys, with another year of growth and maturity, I think we can get up to that level, not just top half, but we want to compete for medals,” Schlapia said.

O’Daniels handed out his Panther Pride award for the 11th year and confirmed he will be back for at least one more season as an assistant coach.

The criteria for the award includes getting a point for every runner that a runner beat in a race this season.

O’Daniels noted there were several sophomore runners who improved drastically in that respect from their freshman year.

For example Stafford registered a point total of 1,378, a new record for freshman boys previously held by Ben Irr.

Sydney Hartsock improved from a total of 351 to 637.

Schlapia implored his runners to double the number of seven runners who came out consistently for summer runner’s club this past summer, and to keep participating in multiple sports.

Schlapia, as he’s known to, offered his runners a grateful piece of thanks.

“All of these years, I can’t think of a better place to spend after school than with you,” Schlapia said.

Varsity letterwinners — Seniors: Dylan Linch (4), Sophia Groumoutis (4), Danielle Castillo (3), Kierstan Latham (Manager 1st). Juniors: Brielle Baker (2). Sophomores: Allivea Skarda (2), Jared Moreland (2), Brittany Linch (2), Hunter Fry (2), Devin Baker (2), Brooklyn Bolinger (Manager 2nd), Sydney Hartsock (1), Ashton Wills (1). Freshmen: Braelyn Baker (1), Morgan Buxton (1), Ali Christensen (1), Paige Davis (1), Adam McElwain (1), Clayton Stafford (1), Keagan Trembly (1), Marie Mullin (Manager 1st).

Participation — Sophomores: Stephanie Davidson, Isaac Jacobson, Spencer Lane, Sydney Pantini, Isaac Ralston. Freshmen: Kaden Briggs, Angelina Chuong, Piper Lumbard, Foster McCutchan.

Academic all-Hawkeye 10 — Dylan Linch, Sophia Groumoutis.

State qualifiers — Brielle Baker, Braelyn Baker, Clayton Stafford.

Brandon Gale Memorial Manager Award — Kiersten Latham, Brooklyn Bolinger, Marie Mullin.

Panther XC spirit award — Isaac Wignall.

Summer Running — Braelyn Baker, Brielle Baker, Ali Christensen, Angelina Chuong, Paige Davis, Levi Hitz, Clayton Stafford.