CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Linn-Mar's Micah Poellet and Iowa City West's Kolby Greiner defeated the rest of the pack and the late summer humidity here Thursday afternoon to win the Eastern Iowa Classic at Cherry Hill Park. They led their schools to team titles as well.
Poellet finished the course in 20:17 to easily outdistance Adrianna Katcher (20:37) of Center Point-Urbana and Cedar Rapids Washington's Reagan Gorman (20:43). Linn-Mar's Chloe Skidmore (21:01) and Hallie Kephart (22:07) of Marion rounded out the Top 5 on the girls side.
"I was really just trying to run my race and just go at a consistent pace," Poellet said. "But I kind of got tired and the heat and wind were getting to me and I couldn't quite keep it."
Greiner posted a solid time of 16:46 to take the gold, while Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Jacob Green (16:54) grabbed second. Linn-Mar's Dylan Dolezal (17:07), and Cedar Rapids Washington teammates Paul Schneidermann (17:10) and Khory Nobles (17:41) completed the Top 5 for the boys.
"Normally, the hotter it is I don't do better. I'm kind of just happy to get it over with," Greiner said.
West totaled 43 points to comfortable win the boys team crown ahead of Kennedy (65). The Linn-Mar girls' 68 edged Washington (68) and Kennedy (69).
You can watch the girls race HERE
You can watch the boys race HERE
See photos of both races HERE