IMS hosts Early Bird cross country meet

Iowa Mennonite School hosted its Early Bird cross country meet Tuesday night on the school’s campus. Three hundred thirty-seven high school athletes representing fourteen schools competed in four separate races. The day was humid and hot and the course soft and muddy adding additional challenges to the event. Iowa Mennonite fielded a scoring varsity team for the first time since the 2014 season placing eighth out of ten full teams. City High won the varsity race with 16 points followed by Cedar Rapids Jefferson with 56. Junior Levi Geyer led the host team placing seventeenth in 19:50 claiming the only medal won by the host school. Sophomore Jacob Boller

placed forty-seventh in 22:27, a full minute faster than his time at last year’s early bird meet. Senior Anthony Villatoro made his cross country debut placing fifty-fourth in 23:08 with Micah Miller in tow placing fifty-ninth in 23:23. Micah took over two minutes off his time on the course last year. Junior Gerardo Mendoza completed the team’s scoring placing seventy-second in 26:08 in his first competition. Senior Jared Schlabaugh also competed in the varsity race placing seventy-sixth in 34:30. Senior Michael Berg of City High won the race in 17:15. Seventy-six runners finished the boys varsity race.

Boys results			Team Scores
Individual Placings			City High	16
Levi Geyer	17^th	19:50	Cedar Rapids Jefferson	56
Jacob Boller	46^th	22:27	Washington	105
Anthony Villatoro	54^th	23:08	Wapello	121
Micah Miller	59^th	23:23	Alburnett	161
Gerardo Mendoza	72^nd	26:08	Montezuma	161
Jared Schlabaugh	76^th	34:30	Winfield-Mt. Union	165
			Iowa Mennonite	220
			North Cedar	231
			English Valleys	260

Five IMS runners competed in the junior varsity boys race. One Hundred-thirteen runners finished the boys junior varsity race.

Boys JV
Cameron Roser-Peet	22:57	51^st
Adrian Gonzales	23:13	55^th
Cole Yoder	23:37	61^st
Seth Danga	25:35:00	85^th
Jesse Slater	27:46:00	101^st

The Iowa Mennonite girl’s team also placed eighth in a field of ten full teams. 2013 is the last time IMS has fielded a scoring varsity team. Senior Calli Shaw led the way placing twenty-third in

24:52. This is Calli’s second season at IMS but tonight was her first varsity race representing the school. She executed her race with perfection running each mile faster than the previous. Sophomores Mackenzie Gutierrez and Rachel Geyer placed thirty-fifth in 28:26 and fifty-sixth in 30:34 respectively. Freshmen Sarena Gerber and Greta Schrag also ran well in their first high school races. Sarena was fifty-seventh in 31:13 while Greta was fifty-ninth in 32:01. Kinsee Brands of City High won the varsity girls race in 20:57. Sixty-six runners finished the girls varsity race.

Girls results			Team Scores
Individual results			City High	17
Calli Shaw	23^rd	24:52	Washington	71
Mackenzie Gutierrez	35^th	28:26	North Cedar	73
Rachel Geyer	56^th	30:34	Cedar Rapids Jefferson	91
Sarena Gerber	57^th	31:13	Montezuma	155
Greta Schrag	59^th	32:01	Winfield-Mt. Union	158
			Iowa Mennonite	186
			Highland	211
			WACO	247