Forward Together

The cross country season for Creston officially closed Sunday night with its end of the season banquet.

Creston head coach Pat Schlapia started the evening off by thanking all of those who made the season possible, extending his gratitude to parents, school faculty and others involved with a season that put two Panther runners at the state meet in Fort Dodge.

“I want to tell you all thank you for the support,” said Schlapia. “It’s nice that when we go to these meets, no matter where we’re at, we have people cheering us and the kids on. Thank you very much for that.”

After thanks were given, Schlapia dove into how this season was a year where the team worked as one, following the motto ‘together’ from the start of practices in August to the season finale in Fort Dodge in early November.

“This year we’ve been going with the motto ‘together,’” said Schlapia. “... We had 30 kids out for cross country, 18 girls and 12 boys, and we all talked about how we’re in this together. When we broke down (a huddle), the motto was always ‘together’. Whether you guys were running up at state a few weeks ago or at the conference meet, everybody knew what everyone was going through.”

Together, the Panther girls ran their way to two team titles in 2019, winning as a group at the Southwest Valley invitational and the Orient-Macksburg invitational. The team also had a quality finish at the Hawkeye 10 conference meet, placing third, a meet which Schlapia believed was one of the best team performances of the season.

On the boys end, the team maxed out at O-M, placing second, while it worked every week to put up its best times as a team, citing the finish as a team steadily improved from the year prior.

Schlapia dove into how each team did against some of the best competition of the season, talking at length about how the boys and the girls battled against state qualifying runners in nearly every meet and how each week the runners showed grit and determination to improve.

“When I saw those (types of teams and runners), it makes me think of how we’re going up against that competition and the boys and girls weren’t backing off from them,” said Schlapia. “That’s one thing I loved to see, the growth we had together in that.”

Historic efforts

Continuous growth from the Panther runners led to a historic season, sending two to state to make it 11 straight seasons where a Creston runner has raced in Fort Dodge. Junior Braelyn Baker was the trailblazer for the Panther girls this season, medaling at every meet, including a 14th place state meet finish. She set a school record 5K time (19:16.9), was the sixth medalist in school history at state and was the second girl to medal. She was also the first girl in school history to capture a Hawkeye 10 individual title.

With her was Paige Davis, who also qualified for state. Davis medaled in eight of the nine races this season and placed 59th at state, up from her 84th placing the year prior. She’s the sixth girl in Creston’s history to be a two-time qualifier.

For the boys, Clayton Stafford was the leader of the pack. Stafford was a top-20 finisher at every meet, medaling six times. He missed the state meet by less than a second, placing 16th in Atlantic. He was a Hawkeye 10 all-conference selection with an 11th place finish at the H-10 meet. Jared Moreland, the boys’ No. 2 runner behind Stafford, medaled in seven meets for the Panthers.

The success in the season came through a weather stretch in the season where the Panthers raced in poor conditions, had to adjust their plans due to postponement or had to work around meet cancellations. Schlapia mired how the team responded to the difficulties.

“We had adversity with our schedule, dealing with weather this season,” said Schlapia. “Winterset, Greene County and Atlantic postponed or cancelled. Southwest Valley was added due to the postponements ... We made the best of these situations and showed heart.”

Awards, senior farewell

Schlapia handed out awards for the season, given to senior leaders to the runners who most embody Panther cross country, naming Hunter Fry, Levi Hitz and Jared Moreland as the winners.

Schlapia also named Jenna Busch and Sophia Short as the Brandon Gale Memorial Manager Award, an award handed to the team’s managers for the season.

Leaving the Panthers due to graduation are Devin Baker, Hunter Fry, Levi Hitz, Spencer Lane, Jared Moreland, Sydney Hartsock, Brittany Linch, Sydney Pantini, Ashley Reynard and Heylee Shields.

“We thank them for running with us through high school,” said Schlapia. Of the graduating seniors, Baker, Fry, Hitz, Linch and Moreland earned their fourth varsity letter Sunday night. Pantini, Reynard, Shields and Lane earned their first. “

Hartsock, Linch, Pantini, Shields, Baker, Fry, Hitz and Lane were also named as Hawkeye 10 all-academics, an honor which is given to seniors who held a 3.50 GPA or better.

Despite losing a a group which not only had put significant time in through one year or four years, Schlapia knows the group will forever be a part of the cross country family.

“They left their mark on Creston cross country,” said Schlapia of the seniors. “We have 20 total runners returning. Expectations are to move up even more on the girls and boys teams. No matter where you finish on the team, you are a member of the Creston cross country family!”

Letterwinners

(Number of letters)

Freshmen — Riley DeGonia (1), Emma Pantini (1), Tristan Rice (1), Carson Smith (1), Autumn Stafford (1), Sydney Strunk (1), Mallory Wilson (1), Riley Wipperman (1), Jenna Busch (as manager, 1)

Sophomores — Aidan Anderson (1), Isaac Shields (1), Sophia Short (as manager, 1)

Juniors – Braelyn Baker (3), Morgan Buxton (3), Angelina Chuong (2), Paige Davis (3), Molly Sickels (1), Clayton Stafford (3).

Seniors — Devin Baker (4), Hunter Fry (4), Sydney Hartsock (3), Levi Hitz (4), Spencer Lane (1), Brittany Linch (4), Jared Moreland (4), Sydney Pantini (1), Ashley Reynard (1), Heylee Shields (1).

Participation award — Tristan Callahan, Adam Short.

State Cross Country Meet award — Braelyn Baker, Paige Davis.

Hawkeye 10 Conference All-Academic —Sydney Hartsock, Brittany Linch, Sydney Pantini, Heylee Shields, Spencer Lane, Levi Hitz, Devin Baker, Hunter Fry.

Brandon Gale Memorial Manager Award —Jenna Busch and Sophia Short.

Chris Wyatt Award —Hunter Fry, Levi Hitz, Jared Moreland.

Summer Running Club —Aidan Anderson, Braelyn Baker, Angelina Chuong, Paige Davis, Hunter Fry, Levi Hitz, Brittany Linch, Jared Moreland, Molly Sickels, Clayton Stafford, Riley Wipperman.