IOWATFXC.COM’s picks of the top teams and individuals in each division of the 2010 Iowa State HS XC Championships, Fort Dodge, 10/30 are:
1A GIRLS:
Teams - Pekin and Earlham will battle it out for the title, with Pekin given the edge with it’s individual strength at the top. Tri-Center will factor in the race, with Marquette Catholic and Griswold sleepers.
Individuals - Emily Franks (Northeast) is a slight favorite, with Lauren Sharp (Dike-New Hartford) and Grace Moore (Cardinal Newman) close behind. Celsey Conger (Pekin) , Ashley Corrin (Tri-Center), Rachel Northrup (Griswold), or Megan Deist (Audubon) could surprise.
1A BOYS:
Teams - Wapello and Iowa Mennonite will continue their war from Regionals, a toss-up to which will win. Up to eight other teams could challenge, led by Council Bluffs St. Albert.
Individuals - Bill Spencer (IMS) and Taylor Huseman (Manson-Northwest Webster) are the class of the field, also a toss-up between them for the individual title. Battling for third will be Chase Moser (Wapello), Conrad Wain (Treynor), Terry Nielsen (Northern University), and BCLUW’s Jay Welp & Levi Storjohann.
2A GIRLS:
Teams - Lauren Benzing will lead Solon to a narrow win over Unity Christian, with Iowa City Regina, Union, and Humboldt challenging.
Individuals - Benzing is a solid favorite; with Sadie Timms (Gilbert), Leah Seivert (Sibley-Ocheyedan), Jodi Miller (Sumner-Fredericksburg), Holly Halstead (Hudson), and Arden Betzer (Springville/Central City) vying for second.
2A BOYS:
Teams - Spirit Lake with their big three individuals should prevail, with Unity Christian and Iowa City Regina giving chase. Solon and South Winneshiek could be close.
Individuals - Alec Baldwin (Spirit Lake) will earn the gold; with teammate Keith Byers, Logan Hovland (North Iowa), Nate Kolacia (St Edmond), Jake Potter (PCM, Monroe), Justin Hoshstetler (Mid-Prairie), and Seth Woodson (Union) battling for the silver.
3A GIRLS:
Teams - This will be the deepest team race of the day; a pick-em between Dubuque Wahlert, Dallas Center-Grimes, Sioux City Heelan, Decorah, Garner-Hayfield, Pella, and Benton Community.
Individuals - It will be close between Anna Holdiman (Waverly-Shell Rock) and Madison Waymire (Dallas Center-Grimes), with Holdiman given the edge. Moran Lonning (Decorah) could be there if the other two falter.
3A BOYS:
Teams - Boone, Glenwood, and Grinnell should be the top three, with Knoxville, Pella, and Decorah not out-of-it. Boone’s depth at 4 and 5 will edge Glenwood’s strength at the top.
Individuals - Perhaps the best three (or even five) male runners in the state will vie here. Connor Smock (Mt Vernon-Lisbon), Johnny Fuller (Glenwood), and Ryan McMahon (Algona) will be 1-3, but not necessarily in that order; with Zach Buchheit (Pella) and Evan Selsor (Winterset) close behind.
4A GIRLS:
Teams - Dowling Catholic and Iowa City High will be a strong 1-2, with Dowling’s elite edging City High’s depth. Pleasant Valley and Valley, WDM will be close. Linn-Mar, Iowa City West, Waukee, Urbandale, Johnston, Ankeny, Des Moines Roosevelt, and Cedar Falls will fight for other spots in the top 10.
Individuals - Shelby Houlihan (Sioux City East) is the top female runner in 4A, in the state, and one of the best in the U.S., and should dominate. Rebecca Rethwisch (Iowa City High) and Dowling Catholic’s Karissa Schweizer & Tanelle Berard would like those accolades.
4A BOYS:
Teams - Cedar Rapids Prairie, with it’s quality at top and depth, will prevail. WDM Valley, Cedar Falls, and Dowling Catholic should be next; with Burlington, Pleasant Valley, Indianola, Johnston, and Cedar Rapids Washington in the mix.
Individuals - This will be the deepest (and perhaps highest quality at the top, see 3A Boys) individual race of the day, with as many as ten capable of winning; including Matt & Kyle Stocker (CR Prairie), Mitch Wink (Waukee), Kevin Lewis (Ottumwa), Eli Horton (SE Polk), Conor Wells (DM Roosevelt), Cole Decker (Dowling Catholic), and Burlington’s Marshall Moyer & Ben Witt. Abbabiya Simbassa (Sioux City North) is a sleeper.
ATHLETES OF THE MEET
(Top Girl and Boy overall)
(Top Girl and Boy overall)
Top Girl - Shelby Houlihan (SC East), or ?? (possible challengers – Rethwisch, Schweizer, Berard, Holdiman, Waymire, Benzing, Franks)
Top boy - best time from all divisions; challengers - Smock, Fuller, McMahon, the Stockers, Wink, Lewis, Horton, Decker, Wells, Moyer, Witt, Buchheit, Selsor, Baldwin, Spencer, Huseman
Email lknudson@milesplit.us with comments.