Iowa Mennonite School

Jacob Valov

Kirby Shetler

Cody Miller

Dillon Bender

Cameron Gingerich, Jacob Schmieder

Kobi Russom

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The Iowa Mennonite boys cross country team placed seventh of ten schools at its own Early Bird cross country meet Tuesday.  The meet is held on the school’s campus and in the neighboring timber.  This is the first time the team has had five runners finish the varsity race since the Early Bird meet last year.  Five runners are needed to have a team score.  Sophomore Kirby Shetler came through with a big race.  He started with the leaders and was able to finish in eighteenth place with a time of 18:39.  This was over a minute faster than his time at this meet last year.  Senior Cody Miller nabbed the last medal by placing twentieth with a time of 18:57.  This is his best time ever on this course in four years of competing.  Cameron Gingerich also put in a good performance placing twenty-eighth in 19:39.  Jacob Valov and Dillon Bender rounded out the scoring by placing fiftieth and sixty-second.  Jacob Schmieder and Kobi Russom both competed well at the varsity level.  “It is good to see IMS in the team results again.  This was the first high school cross country experience for four of our varsity runners tonight.” Bennett Luedtke of Muscatine won the individual title in 17:05.19.  Seventy-two runners finished the boys varsity race.      

In the JV race, Andy Fang finished 48th with a time of 22:23 and Richard Deming placed 114th with a time of 30:55.

Andy Fang

Richard Deming

Alvard Mamikonyan, Summer Schrock, Michaela Gingerich, Camila Segar

The Iowa Mennonite girls cross country team placed seventh in a field of ten teams.  The 2010 season was the last time that the IMS girls team had a complete squad at the varsity level.  Newcomers Riley Schmieder, Summer Schrock and Alvard Mamikonyan are lending a hand to help returning sophomores Renee Buckwalter and Michaela Gingerich who were both varsity runners last year.  Senior Camila Segar competed at the junior varsity level last year and is varsity team captain this year.   Tonight it was Renee Buckwalter and Riley Schmieder who led the way for the team.  Renee was twenty-third in 18:41 and Riley was twenty-eighth in 19:02.   Michaela Gingerich and Camila Segar were the second pair to finish, while Summer Schrock and Alvard Mamikonyan were the third pair to finish for the team.  “Riley’s great performance at her first cross country meet is a good omen for the season.  It is great to see both Renee and Riley train and compete together.  This year is already feeling more like a team effort than what the team experienced last year,” coach Marty Gingerich commented.  Michelle Zikes of Cedar Rapids Jefferson won the individual title in 16:09.  Sixty-seven runners finished the girls race.  

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Renee Buckwalter

Riley Schmieder