Late-season peaking is the theme for area runners

Nodaway Valley cross country runners on the boys and girls’ side each carry lowering times and strong placings from recent meets into the postseason, which begins Thursday at Panorama’s Par 3 Golf Course for the Class 1A State Qualifying Meet.

The girls were fourth, by one point, to Mount Ayr at the Pride of Iowa Conference meet October 12 in Leon, led by a runner-up performance by freshman Jazz Christensen (21:20) and three other medalists who were top-20.

The Wolverine boys were second to the host Cardinals. Junior runner Doug Berg was runner-up (16:46) to CD senior William Gillis, who was 10 seconds faster. NV sophomore Malachi Broers (18:06) also turned in a top-10 time, placing 10th. Three others medaled for the Wolverines.

Girls

Girls coach Chase Green said he planned to calculate training steps carefully early this week in anticipation for the state qualifying meet.

Supporting Christensen’s performance at conference were Annika Nelson (13th, 23:00) and Lily Day (14th, 23:08), who both medaled. Next in line was senior Erin Ford (22nd, 24:42) and junior Hope Kading (34th, 28:11).

At a meet in Mount Ayr two days later, which featured teams from Iowa and Missouri of all classes, Christensen was eighth, running 22:34.71. Day was 18th (23:43.02). Outside the top 20, Nelson was 32nd (25:14.63), Ford 38th (25:39.71) and Kading 66th (31:13.62).

“At the conference meet, our girls ran tremendously. I think it was everybody’s fastest time or close to it,” said Green. “Jazz ran in the 21s, which is fantastic and is her fastest time by 30 seconds or a minute. Lily ran really good.”

Green was excited for the chance his girls have to compete Thursday. They’ve added Grace Britten to the team, which is within the rules of the sport, and will see how having a sixth runner benefits them going forward.

“I don’t know what it’s going to take for us to get into that second place position. There are three teams — I’m looking at ACGC, Logan-Magnolia and Audubon — that could end up putting us [out of the top 2]. I’d like to see us perform well, get that second place and go to state, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” Green said. “I do think that with runners who have been in the top 20 over and over again and Jazz, who has been in the top 10 over and over again, there’s a good chance Jazz, as an individual, will qualify, and even maybe Lily or Annika, depending how they run.”

Boys

For the first time since the start of the season, the Nodaway Valley boys have cracked the top 20 again in Class 1A’s rankings, as set by the Iowa Association of Track and Field Coaches.

Behind Berg and Broers at the conference meet, seniors Jaxon Christensen (18th, 19:25) and Gavin Shoemaker (19th, 19:25) each medaled. The “pack” the Wolverines have had all season finished just outside of medaling — Jevin Christensen was 22nd (19:43), Ben Piearson was 23rd (19:59) and Tyler Cooper 24th (20:00). Will Sturdy was 33rd (20:52) and Jack Jensen ran a 22:23 in 44th.

The team average time keeps dropping for the Wolverines also. They ran an average of 18:41 at conference.

“Four medalists, but seven in the top 24. Peaking at the right time, that’s kind of what we do. We always say October’s our month,” said boys coach Darrell Burmeister. “We kind of run our hard meets, double up with two a week and don’t shy away from competition. That’s what the Ballards, Wartburgs, Crestons and Atlantics are for. We’ve had some success in the past and it seems our workouts are doing the same for these guys. They’re getting better and I’m really happy for them.”

At Mount Ayr, the Wolverines were led by Berg, who was third (17:35.34). Broers was next, 16th in 18:55.95. Gavin Shoemaker (32nd, 20:16.97), Jaxon Christensen (40th, 20:33.21), Tyler Cooper (42nd, 20:39.07), Ben Piearson (52nd, 21:08.40), Will Sturdy (63rd, 21:35.88), Jevin Christensen (83rd, 22:48.15) and Jack Jensen (89th, 22:59.18) rounded out the team’s finishers.

At the state qualifying meet, Burmeister said he expects top-ranked ACGC and seventh-ranked Ogden to give his team the greatest push.

“There are two teams that are really good, then IKM-Manning, Madrid and us are pretty decent. I don’t see any of the rest challenging,” Burmeister said. “We’re happy with everybody. Malachi’s been a steady second for us. The pack keeps improving. We’ll see what happens Thursday.”