Senior Cody Miller led the Mennonite harriers Tuesday in Wellman at the Golden Hawk Invitational on a beautiful evening for running.  He placed tenth in 18:30.  It was a very good effort for Cody from start to finish.  Kirby Shetler was not far behind placing fifteenth in 18:41.  They both ran an evenly paced race with Cody running a little fast on the last half of the course.  Jacob Valov was the team’s third runner placing forty-ninth in 21:11.  Jacob Schmieder was sixtieth in 22:26.  Andy Fang toured the five kilometer course in 21:34.  Andy is not eligible for varsity competition so the team did not have the five runners necessary to field a full team.  “I thought our five finishers all ran very well tonight.  Each runner is learning how hard they can push themselves to get the best time possible,”  Coach Marty Gingerich said.  Adam McNamara from Wilton was the individual winner finishing in 18:04.

Boys Indivual Placings       Team Scores  
Cody Miller 10th 18:30   Mid-Prairie 42
Kirby Shetler 15th 18:41   Highland 48
Jacob Valov 49th 21:11   Wilton 67
Jacob Schmieder 60th 22:26   Muscatine 87
Kobi Russom DNF     HLV 123
Andy Fang 53rd 21:34 JV    

 

 

The entire Iowa Mennonite girls team came through with their best performances of the year Tuesday in Wellman.  Each of the five finishers took a minimum of thirty-four seconds off their previous season best time.  Renee Buckwalter led the way with her first sub 18 minute time of the year finishing in seventh place.  Riley Schmieder was thirty seconds and one position behind Buckwalter.  Schmieder sprinted past her closest competitor right before the finish line to get eighth place in 18:23.  Senior Camila Segar had the team’s biggest improvement over other races this year.  Her time of 21:04 is over a minute and a half faster than her previous season best.  That time earned her thirty-third place.  Summer Schrock and Alvard Mamikonyan rounded out the scoring with forty-first and forty-second places.  This is the first time either Summer or Alvard have been under 25 minutes.  Marty Gingerich commented, “The conditions were great tonight and these young women took advantage of the opportunity to come through with some great races.”  Larkin Chapman of Muscatine was the individual titlist finishing in 16:29.

Girls Individual Placings       Team Scores  
Renee Buckwalter 7th 17:53   Muscatine 34
Riley Schmieder 8th 18:23   Mid-Prairie 42
Camila Segar 33rd 21:04   Wilton 72
Summer Schrock 41st 23:26   IMS 87
Alvard Mamikonyan 42nd 24:30      

The cross country teams compete next September 27 on the University of Iowa course in Iowa City.