Gross medals for the Cyclones, Rau finishes 55th at State Meet
FORT DODGE- Harlan Community cross country wrapped up its 2026 season Saturday at the Iowa State Cross Country Meet, with junior Ashlyn Rau and senior Jeffrey Gross representing the Cyclones against some of the state’s top competition.
The two runners finished their seasons with memorable performances, as Gross earned a spot on the state medal stand with a 13th-place finish in the boys race, while Rau made her third consecutive appearance at the state meet, finishing 55th in the girls race.
On the girls side, Rau crossed the finish line in 20:14.5 to place 55th overall.
The junior competed in a deep field of runners, finishing among the top 60 in a race won by Evelyn Moeller of Mount Vernon-Lisbon in 17:07.5.
While Rau admitted she didn’t feel she had her best race, she was pleased with the opportunity to compete at the state level and finish her season against some of Iowa’s best runners.
“I don’t think I ran that well. I just felt really gassed during the race, but I’m really happy I still ran strong and got to come here and compete. That’s all I can ask for,” Rau said.
Saturday’s race marked another milestone for Rau, who qualified for the state meet for the third consecutive year.
The junior has now represented HCHS at the state meet in each of her first three seasons, an accomplishment she said means a great deal to her.
“It means the world. I’m so happy that I have this ability to run as fast as I can, and I’m just grateful I got to qualify all three years. Every time I come here, I try to give it my all,” Rau said.
Rau’s state appearance capped another strong season for the Cyclones’ girls program.
She played an important role in the Cyclones successful campaign, which included a second consecutive Hawkeye 10 Conference championship.
Rau finished second individually at the conference meet with a time of 19:57.59, helping the Cyclones secure the team title.
On the boys side, senior Jeffrey Gross put together one of the biggest individual performances for HCHS, earning a state medal with a 13th-place finish in 16:15.9.
Gross showed significant improvement from a season ago, moving up from 50th place at last year’s state meet to finish among the top 15 runners in the state this season.
A strong start was an important part of Gross’ race strategy.
After getting boxed in during last year’s competition, the senior made it a priority to position himself better early and stay within reach of the lead group.
“I think it was a good start. I didn’t want to get boxed in like I did last year, so I started by staying up with the top two but let them go a little more. That was my game plan, to not get boxed in, so I’m really proud of getting a medal,” Gross said.
Gross’ 13th-place finish represented a significant step forward from his previous state appearance and allowed him to accomplish one of his biggest goals heading into his final season.
The senior said reaching the state meet had been a goal since his freshman year.
After qualifying last season, he entered this year’s race hoping to finish his high school career on the podium.
“It’s awesome. My goal as a freshman was to make it here, and then I did last year. This year, I wanted to end it off strong and be on the podium, and I did just that,” Gross said.
Gross’ state medal provided a memorable conclusion to his high school cross country career, as he finished 37 places higher than he did a year ago. Logan Bleich of Gilbert captured the boys individual state championship with a time of 15:12.2.
Both runners represented Harlan Community on the state stage, bringing the 2026 cross country season to a close with individual accomplishments that highlighted their work throughout the fall.
For Rau, it marked a third straight year competing among the state’s best, while Gross finished his Cyclone career with a state medal and a significant improvement from his previous appearance.
