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Little Hawks’ cross country 8th in Ft. Dodge girls’ race
by Matthew Dickinson, sports editor · Sports · November 06, 2024
West Branch sophomore Grace Hamann and the Iowa City High girls’ cross country team did battle with the state’s elite runners, taking eighth with 198 points in the 4A race Friday afternoon in Fort Dodge.
“They ran gutsy and tough and aggressive,” City High Head Coach Ryan Ahlers said. “I heard we were fourth as a team at the mile. That might have been a little too aggressive, but it’s state. It’s a race where you can’t really let off the gas pedal too much. We probably didn’t finish as well as we could have in the last 600 to 800 meters, but I’m just so proud of themselves for putting themselves in a good position to place well as a team.”
City High matched its placing from last season despite the loss of senior Ani Wedemeyer, who transferred from the Little Hawks to Pleasant Valley after taking 12th a season ago. Wedemeyer ended her high school cross country career with an 18:24.8 for eighth as the Spartans took the team title with 63 points to topple defending champion Johnston, which took second with 88.
Hamann finished second on the team and 30th overall with a personal best of 18:55.6. Her time improved by a minute from her state debut last year and the sophomore improved 50 spots in the race.
“I think if you would have told her at the beginning of the season that she’d be a sub-19 minute 5K girls and finish this well at the state meet she would have been surprised,” Ahlers said. “She is a very good runner and a great teammate, she loves it. She was a huge catalyst for our team, not only in the way she races. She trains hard. And she takes it seriously but also loves to have fun with her teammates too, so it’s a good balance.”
The coach added that Hamann worked through some minor injuries in the middle of the season, but communicated well with the coaching staff before finishing the year well.
In just her second season racing against 4A competition while co-oping from a 2A school, Hamann has learned race strategy while bonding with her teammates. City High has five returning varsity runners from last year including the sophomore, giving the team continuity in the quest for a higher placing.
Junior Abigail Burns led City High with an 18:51.1 for 24th. Burns, who led City High the majority of the season, used an aggressive race strategy to establish position before battling through fatigue for a gutsy finish to cap off a breakout junior campaign.
“My hope for Abigail is that as she walks away from this meet, she can think about how much she’s improved steadily over her career. She is a leader on our team, and we feel very confident with her on the line, and I think her teammates do too.”
Freshman Eliza Doster had a strong state debut, taking 35th in 19:10.3.
Seniors Nina and Nicole Peterson rounded out the scorers, with Nina placing 57th in 19:32.5 and Nicole taking 67th in 19:46.2.
“Those two elevated our program,” Ahlers said. “The way that they work and the way they want to get better in everything that you do. When you have teammates like Nina and Nicole, you want to do that too. They were leaders in a lot of ways, too. I’m just really proud of them.”
Calissa Fruin did not factor into the team scoring, but the freshman did give the Little Hawks a higher placing by finishing ahead of Waukee Northwest’s sixth runner to break a tie with a 96th-place 20:22.4.
“Hats off to Calissa Fruin for racing hard, because she ended up keeping us in eighth instead of ninth. It takes everyone. It takes everyone to try to beat every person that you possibly can.”
Junior Claire Locher rounded out the City High runners with a 99th-place 20:32.2.
With all runners but the Peterson twins returning, the Little Hawks have plenty of reason for optimism in the near future. City High also has a wealth of returning talent from the junior varsity ranks including sophomore Madeline Fischer, who ran at state last season.
Team scores: 1. Pleasant Valley 63 2. Johnston 88 3. Dubuque Senior 133 4. Ankeny Centennial 145 5. Dallas Center-Grimes 156 6. Cedar Falls 180 7. Ankeny 195 8. Iowa City High 198 9. Waukee Northwest 198 10. Dubuque Hempstead 220 11. Waukee 247 12. Valley 250 13. Davenport Central 298 14. Ames 317 15. Des Moines Roosevelt 345.
All-State runners: 1. Piper Messerly (DCG) 17:58.7; 2. Anika Mohrhauser (Ankeny Centennial) 18:02.4; 3. Charlee Gall (CF) 18:11.8; 4. Nakia Olivierre (Wat. West) 18:18.5; 5. Evie Henneberry (DH) 18:20.0; 6. Grace Boleyn (PV) 18:23.6; 7. Alyx Woodley (John.) 18:24.7; 8. Ani Wedemeyer (PV) 18:24.8; 9. Claire Hoyer (DS) 18:24.9; 10. Emma Chesterman (DS); 11. Maddie Millage (PV) 18:26.1; 12. Payton Crabb (John.) 18:26.1; 13. Haley Hveem (Ankeny Centennial) 18:28.4; 14. Drew Beason (Ankeny) 18:30.1; 15. Ele Wharton (John.) 18:34.6.
City High results: 24. Abigail Burns 18:51.1; 30. Grace Hamann 18:55.6; 35. Eliza Doster 19:10.3; 57. Nina Peterson 19:32.5; 67. Nicole Peterson 19:46.2; 96. Calissa Fruin 20:22.4; 99. Claire Locher 20:32.2.
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