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 | 17th | 19:50 | Cedar Rapids Jefferson | 56 | |||
Jacob Boller | 46th | 22:27 | Washington | 105 | |||
Anthony Villatoro | 54th | 23:08 | Wapello | 121 | |||
Micah Miller | 59th | 23:23 | Alburnett | 161 | |||
Gerardo Mendoza | 72nd | 26:08 | Montezuma | 161 | |||
Jared Schlabaugh | 76th | 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 | 51st | |
Adrian Gonzales | 23:13 | 55th | |
Cole Yoder | 23:37 | 61st | |
Seth Danga | 25:35:00 | 85th | |
Jesse Slater | 27:46:00 | 101st | |
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 | 23rd | 24:52 | Washington | 71 | |||
Mackenzie Gutierrez | 35th | 28:26 | North Cedar | 73 | |||
Rachel Geyer | 56th | 30:34 | Cedar Rapids Jefferson | 91 | |||
Sarena Gerber | 57th | 31:13 | Montezuma | 155 | |||
Greta Schrag | 59th | 32:01 | Winfield-Mt. Union | 158 | |||
Iowa Mennonite | 186 | ||||||
Highland | 211 | ||||||
WACO | 247 |

Two IMS runners competed in the girls junior varsity race. Eighty-two runners finished the girls junior varsity race.
Girls JV | |||
Alyssa Gonzales | 55th | 30:47 | |
Ainsley Shaw | 76th | 40:05 |
IMS competes next at Fairfield on Thursday, September 8.
- Gerardo Mendoza
- Seth Danga
- Micah Miller
- Mackenzie Gutierrez
- Jesse Slater
- Jared Schlabaugh
- Anthony Villatoro
- Greta Schrag
- Sarena Gerber
- Rachel Geyer
- Adrian Gonzales
- Cole Yoder
- Ainsley Shaw