Centennial Lady Jags Prepare for Fort Dodge with Great Performances at Waukee

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The Ankeny Centennial Lady Jaguars have only been a team for a few short years now, but head coach Eric Cogdill has developed a team looking for a top 5 team performance at State this year. At the Waukee Cross Country Invitational on September 27th, the Lady Jags swept the JV and Varsity races with individual and team wins. Cogdill's preparations for the Lady Jags to race at Waukee included "preloading our girls with the thoughts of running faster times as fall had arrived. We worked on visualizing running fast and we frequently talk about mindset." The Varsity team was headed by newcomer Emma Gordon, a transfer this year from 2A school, Mediapolis. Gordon, who ran 20:43 at the IGHSAU Cross Country Championships 2A race last year, won by 8 seconds with a 19:45 at the Waukee Invite. Cogdill credits Gordon with bringing "focus and energy at practice [which] has made our whole pack better." Gordon has been ranked in the top ten of the individual Heartland Soles rankings and the IATFC rankings for much of the season, showing vast improvement from her 38th 2A finish at State last year.

A few other key players in the growth of the Lady Jags this year, Cogdill says, include two freshmen, Sophia Lee (who was absent at the Waukee Invite) and Jeanna Peters. "Between those three additions and returning individual state qualifiers, Ashley Arends and Megan Gray, we have a nice pack for #1-#5," he told us. With strong all-around athletes, including soccer players and triathletes, the Lady Jags not only have a great shot of being top 10 at State this year, but for years to come.

Cogdill credits much of the success the team has seen this year to diligent training over the summer. He offered morning and evening runs four days per week for the girls to attend, implementing long runs, tempos, and recovery runs, but shying away from high mileage and intensity. When asked about the focus of the summer runs, Cogdill said "I think the most beneficial aspect of our summer is when I can take a small group through a hard threshold session and talk them through how to relax, how to breathe, body positioning, and pack dynamics.  Those prolonged sessions allow for a lot of breakthroughs and the lessons carry through into the fall."

Another factor in their progression? A lack of significant injuries. Cogdill informed us that the Lady Jag's toughest challenges come from soccer practices and marching band. Though these activities can take some of the freshness from the girls' legs, he also recognized that the girls are all very well-rounded individuals, with a team GPA of 3.88 last year and a leadership committee focused on team unity and inclusion. The Lady Jags have also been very involved in serving the community, volunteering in projects such as Angels in the Outfield and Ankeny Miracle League. Additionally, our boys and girls XC team along with their family, host the IATC Middle School Statewide XC meet.  Roughly 120 volunteers make the day run smoothly as we host roughly 1150 racers from all across Iowa," he informed us.

As the Championship season approaches, the Lady Jags will take the course in Fort Dodge today at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge, IA. The Lady Jags will look to improve their previous 14th and 9th place finishes at the IGHSAU Cross Country Championships this year, held back in Fort Dodge on Saturday October 29th.