Cyclone girls’ latest victory seals return to Ft. Dodge
ATLANTIC (Oct. 24) -- For eight straight weeks, the Harlan Community girls cross country team has been ranked fourth in Class 3A by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches.
And for eight straight weeks, all the Cyclones have done is continue to win meet titles - eight out of nine to be exact.
That trend continued at Nishna Hills Golf Course Thursday as the machine-like HCHS girls clinched a second consecutive state berth with a first-place showing in Atlantic’s 3A State Qualifying Meet.
Placing four runners in the top 15 and six in the top 19, the Cyclones posted a winning score of 56 to claim another SQM championship banner. Glenwood, ranked 12th, placed second with a score of 79 and unranked ADM (98) took third to also qualify for state as a team.
The HCHS girls will compete at noon on Saturday (Nov. 2) at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course north of Fort Dodge.
“It means the world to me,” said senior Lucy Borkowski after placing fourth to lead the Cyclone charge. “It kind of sums up our season and how incredible each girl is and how hard we’ve worked.”
Junior Liv Freund, who stepped up to be the team’s number two runner in 11th place Thursday, said the goal at state this year is to “be on the balcony” with a top-three finish after placing eighth a year ago.
“Shoot for Saturn,” she said. “Last year didn’t go the way that we really wanted it to and we’re going there to do something this year. We know how to race it.”
HCHS coach Doug Renkly noted that consistency is a perfect word to describe this year’s group.
“These guys, you don’t have to put any pressure on them. They put plenty of pressure on themselves. My job is more of a counselor than anything,” he said. “They’re not afraid to do the hard work and sometimes we need to back them off and rest them when they need to be rested. All the credit goes to (the girls). They’re just such a tight, tough, gritty group.”
HCHS currently trails No. 1 Ballard, No. 2 Wahlert and No. 3 Dallas Center-Grimes in the 3A rankings. “We’re just going to have to get there and do what we do well,” Renkly said. "Trust each other and trust themselves.”
3A State Qualifying Cross Country Meet • October 24 • Nishna Hills GC • Atlantic
Girls Team Standings - 1. Harlan Community 56*, 2. Glenwood 79*, 3. ADM 98*, 4. Atlantic 115, 5. North Polk 116, 6. Creston 121, 7. Carlisle 123, 8. Denison-Schleswig 211, 9. Boone 291, 10. Saydel 306. (* State Qualifiers)
Individual State Qualifiers - 1. Ainsley Erzen (Carlisle), 19:09; 2. Liza Schaffer (N. Polk), 19:35; 3. Braelyn Baker (Crest.), 19:42; 4. Lucy Borkowski (HCHS), 19:49; 5. Geneva Timmerman (ADM), 19:52; 6. Rachel Mullennax (Glen.), 20:16; 7. Claire Miller (D-S), 20:16; 8. Paige Davis (Crest.), 20:17; 9. Jaylene Karolus (Perry), 20:21; 10. Emma Hughes (Glen.), 20:24; 11. Liv Freund (HCHS), 20:25; 12. Taylor McCreedy (Atl.), 20:35; 13. Abby Alberti (HCHS), 20:40; 14. Kaia Bieker (HCHS), 20:48; 15. Hannah Welch (ADM), 20:50.
HCHS Individual Results - 4th: Lucy Borkowski, 19:49.98; 11th: Liv Freund, 20:25.10; 13th: Abby Alberti, 20:40.45; 14th: Kaia Bieker, 20:48.03; 18th: Brecken Van Baale, 21:21.65; 19th: Abi Albertsen, 21:31.26; 27th: Olivia Anderson, 21:53.11. (5-kilometer times; 75 runners)