GC/G-R cross country books state trips

Published by editor on Wed, 10/27/2021 - 12:11pm

The Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck boys team will make its fourth-consecutive state appearance on Saturday in Fort Dodge. Joining them will be GC/G-R girls senior Taylor Stahl (holding poster), making her third state appearance. (Photo via @GR_Rebels on Twitter)

By:

Jake Ryder

sports@grundyregister.com

GOWRIE – The Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck boys cross country team are state qualifiers for the fourth-consecutive season after finishing third in last Thursday’s Class 2A state-qualifying meet in Gowrie.

The GC/G-R boys will be joined by individual qualifier and senior girl Taylor Stahl, making her third appearance at the Class 2A girls state meet after finishing 14th overall in the girls race in 21:09.

The top three girls and boys teams from each Class 2A state-qualifying meet advanced to Saturday’s state meet at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge, in addition to the top 15 individuals. GC/G-R’s boys squad was well clear of the next closest competitor to that final qualifying spot, scoring 72 points in a cluster with the top three teams, led by Des Moines Christian (62 points), followed by Clear Lake (70 points).

The team was led by three individual state qualifiers based on their top-15 status in the race; Ethan Sadler was eighth in 17:18, Kaden Lynch 11th in 17:21, and Brennen Sager 15th in 17:23. Soren Cleveland was 18th in 17:49 and Paul Brockett finished off a tight spread for the top five in 20th in 17:51. Jeryn Spear (45th, 18:56) and Tyler Venenga (55th, 19:21) were non-scoring contributors to the varsity effort.

The boys race runs at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday. The GC/G-R boys were 12th as a team in 2018; 10th in 2019; and then dropped back to 12th in 2020.

GC/G-R’s girls finished sixth with 183 points. Kate Hayes was 21st in 22:01; Bella Dole was 28th in 22:22 in her final race of her high school career; Avery Knutsen placed 48th in 23:48 and Vanessa Ersland rounded out the top five in 72nd in 25:28. Avery Dirks (77th, 26:38) and Jessica Saak (81st, 27:45) were non-scoring contributors – Saak’s high school cross country career has also come to an end.

Stahl will run her final high school race at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. She was 24th as a freshman in 2018 in 20:39; she dropped her time to 20:26 as a sophomore in 2019 but finished 28th.

Class 2A at Gowrie

Girls team scores (top 3 qualify for state)--1. Clarinda 62; 2. Des Moines Christian 66; 3. Van Meter 73; 4. Clear Lake 102; 5. Pocahontas Area 123; 6. GCGR 183; 7. South Central Calhoun 212; 8. Treynor 245; 9. Shenandoah 251; 10. Underwood 277; 11. East Sac County 293; 12. Woodward-Granger 302; 13. Red Oak 314; 14. Southeast Valley 358.

(* denotes individual qualifier)

GC/G-R (183)--*14. Taylor Stahl 21:09; 21. Kate Hayes 22:01; 28. Bella Dole 22:22; 48. Avery Knutsen 23:48; 72. Vanessa Ersland 25:28; 77. Avery Dirks 26:38; 81. Jessica Saak 27:45.

Boys team scores (top 3 qualify for state)--1. Des Moines Christian 62; 2. Clear Lake 70; 3. GCGR 72; 4. Shenandoah 131; 5. Clarinda 152; 6. Southeast Valley 169; 7. Pocahontas Area 221; 8. Greene County 225; 9. Van Meter 243; 10. Red Oak 250; 11. Underwood 314; 12. Treynor 319; 13. South Central Calhoun 353; 14. East Sac County 363.

(* denotes individual qualifier)

GC/G-R (72)--*8. Ethan Sadler 17:18; *11. Kaden Lynch 17:21; *15. Brennen Sager 17:23; 18. Soren Cleveland 17:49; 20. Paul Brockett 17:51; 45. Jeryn Spear 18:56; 55. Tyler Venenga 19:21.