Freshman Renee Buckwalter ran a great race at the state cross country meet in Fort Dodge on Saturday.  Her time of 15:53 is a new personal record.  She was thirty-sixth in the 1A race.  15:53 ties her for the second fastest time an IMS runner has ever run the four kilometer distance at the state meet.  Her goal was to run the race at an even pace and finish as fast as possible.  Her time goal was 16:00.  Most of her competitors started very fast leaving Renee near the back of the field of 130 runners.  By the end of the first mile she had moved up to fifty-seventh place.  Her first mile split was 6:25.  She also ran her second mile in exactly 6:25.  This moved her up to forty-fifth place.  In the final .484 miles of the race she was able to speed up to a 6:18 pace passing nine more runners before crossing the finish line exhausted.  Congratulations Renee!!!

Senior Jesse Shelter capped off an impressive progression of improvement through his four seasons of high school cross country.  Jesse finished the boys 1A race in fifty-seventh place with a time of 17:51.  This is just seven seconds shy of his personal best time on a 5k course set last week at the district meet.  As a Junior Jesse was eighty-sixth place in 18:46.  But the story really begins at his first high school cross country meet in 2008.  His goal that year was to not walk during a race.  He completed his first race in 29:33.  His best time that year was 25:02.  In his sophomore year he dipped under 20:00 for the first time at his last meet of the year yet this wasn’t quite good enough to earn him a spot on the varsity squad that won the state meet that year.  During his Junior year he was scored for the team several times and earned his first letter.  “Jesse has been a testament to what someone can do if they never give up.  The road for him has definitely not been easy.  All the time and effort he has invested in his running have made his accomplishments that much more meaningful.”

Jesse Shetler

Senior Jesse Shetler & Freshman Renee Buckwalter

Jesse Shetler

had the best race of his career at the Cross Country State Qualifier meet Thursday at Indian Hills golf course near Morning Sun.  Shetler, a senior, placed eighth with a time of 17:44.  The top ten individual finishers and the top three teams qualify for the state meet.  He was one place ahead of Tyler Gosnell of Lone Tree.  This is the first time in many encounters that Jesse has finished ahead of Tyler. 

Coach Marty Gingerich said, “Jesse has been running very well in practice so we knew he was capable of pulling off a performance like this.  When you adjust for course lengths Jesse actually improved his PR by over a minute tonight.” 

Kirby Shetler was the next finisher for IMS placing twenty-first in 18:30.  This was also Kirby’s best performance ever. Rex Yoder took over a minute off his previous best time set on a much shorter course.  Rex finished the 3.16 mile race in 22:39.  Kobi Russom was one hundred twenty-fourth in 26:22.  Bennett Moser of Wapello won the race in 16:24.    

Renee Buckwalter

Freshman Renee Buckwalter earned her first trip to the state cross country meet Thursday night.  Renee ran the best race of her career to date placing eighth in a very competitive field.  Renee beat several runners from the SEISC who she has never beaten before.  Her time of 16:37 is even more impressive when you consider the course was 2.6 miles instead of the usual 2.5 miles.  Senior Madeline Miller was the next IMS finisher placing forty-fourth with a time of 18:54.  This was Madeline’s last high school cross country race.  She has been one of the top two runners on the team for the past four years.  Madeline qualified for the state meet as an individual her sophomore year.  “I really appreciate all that Madeline has contributed to the team these past four years.”  Michaela Gingerich also competed finishing eighty-fourth with a time of 21:56.  Arden Betzer of Springville won the individual title in 15:54. 

Renee and Jesse will be competing at the state meet next Saturday October 29.  The meet will be held at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course north of Fort Dodge.  The girls 1A race will begin at 2:00 and the boys 1A race will be at 2:30 pm.  Both runners have worked hard to get to this point and would appreciate your support.  Come cheer like crazy for them!

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Jesse Shetler

Kirby Shetler

Jesse and Kirby Shetler took second and fifth places at the Lake Darling cross country meet hosted by Pekin at the state park.  This is the highest either has placed in a high school cross country meet and it comes at a good time in the season.  The state qualifying meet is next Thursday in Wapello.  Both Shetlers started the race conservatively and passed other runners as the race progressed.  Tyler Gosnell of Lone Tree was the only runner Jesse was not able to pass.  He won the race in 17:29, nineteen seconds ahead of Jesse.  Gosnell was 1:11 ahead of Jesse at the IMS Early Bird meet in August.  Rex Yoder and Kobi Russom finished forty-eighth and fiftieth places.

Renee Buckwalter

All the IMS girls ran strong races at Lake Darling.  Renee Buckwalter finished the 4.1 kilometer course in 16:40 which is her fastest pace this year considering the course distance.  She was outkicked by Madison Roth of WACO for a near photo finish for fourth and fifth places.  Madison placed twenty-eighth at the state meet last year.  Celsey Conger of Pekin won the race in 15:13 and her twin Brenna was second.  The Pekin twins went 2-3 at the state meet last year.  Ella Feldman Lone Tree (20^th at state in 2010) was third Thursday.  Madeline Miller, Jamilya Masylbekova and Camila Segar ran the race in pack formation for much of the way helping each other hold a strong pace.  All three raced the fastest they have all year.  Madeline was twenty-sixth in 19:18, Jamilya was twenty-ninth in 19:28 and Camila was thirty-first in 19:30.  This was both Jamilya and Camila’s last race of the season.   

Maddie Miller, Camila Segar, Jama Masylbekova

The girls cross country team will compete in the 1A state qualifier meet hosted by Wapello next Thursday, October 20.   Like the boys, the top three girls teams and ten individuals qualify to advance to the state meet held in Fort Dodge October 29.  Come to Wapello and show your support for your favorite runners.

Jesse Shetler

Kirby Shetler

Rex Yoder

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Senior Jesse Shetler and freshman Kirby Shetler both won all-conference honors at the South East Iowa Supper Conference cross country meet held in Keosauqua Thursday night.  The race started fast yet the Shetlers settled into a pace they knew they could manage to the end.  By a half mile into the race the brothers were in the middle of the field of ninety runners.  Both Jesse and Kirby held their pace as most of their competitors slowed.  By the one mile mark they had moved into the thirties.  Both continued to pass runners to the very end of the 4.7 kilometer race.  Jesse ended up in tenth with a time of 17:36.  Kirby was twelfth in 17:41.  The top fifteen are designated as all-conference.  Rex Yoder also competed in the varsity race finishing eighty-sixth in 23:35.  Sophomore Dillon Timmerman of Mediapolis was the individual titlist.  Columbus won the team title. 

Kobi Russom

Kobi Russom competed in the junior varsity race.  He finished in thirty-first place with a time of 25:33.

Thursday Renee Buckwalter wasted no time to celebrate the great fitness she has achieved running this summer and during cross country season so far.  The quiet freshman runner competed well against her conference foes finishing eleventh in the varsity girls race.  This earned her all-conference honors.  Her time was 16:02 on the 3.9 kilometer course.  This is the highest finish by an IMS female at the conference meet since 2006.  In fact, all of her teammates also ran well at the meet.  Maddie Miller was forty-fourth in 18:02.  Jamilya Masylbekova was sixtieth in 19:23 and Michaela Gingerich was sixty-seventh in 20:15.  Celsey Conger of Pekin won the race to lead her team to the team title.

Camila Segar displayed her great conditioning by finishing fourth in the junior varsity race.  Her time was 19:27.

Renee Buckwalter

Michaela Gingerich

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Maddie Miller

Jama Masylbekova

Camila Segar

Jess Shetler

Kirby Shetler

The weather was beautiful for the Iowa Mennonite Invitational cross country meet held at the Wellman golf course Monday night.  Eighteen teams were present with twelve fielding full teams.  Vinton-Shellsburg won the team title with 42 points.  IMS had three runners in the boys varsity race.  Jesse Shetler ran a strong race finishing in twenty-fourth place with a time of 18:54.  Kirby Shetler placed forty-first with a time of 19:30.  Rex Yoder was eighty-third place finishing in 24:40, thirty-one seconds better than his previous best time recorded last week.  Tanner Wanders of North Mahaska won the boys race in 17:11.

Rex Yoder

Kobi Russom

Kobi Russom took an even two minutes off his time the last time he ran on this course two weeks ago. He placed 64th in the JV race with a time of 28:17.

In the girls race at the Iowa Mennonite Invitational Solon, ranked second in 3A, and Williamsburg, ranked seventh in 3A, dominated a relatively strong field.  Solon won the team title with 27 points.  The Iowa Mennonite girls all responded well to the competition.  The four varsity runners all ran times faster than they did on this course two weeks ago with three recording personal bests.  Renee Buckwalter was twenty-second place lowering her personal record to 17:08.  Madeline Miller was forty-nine seconds faster than her previous try at this course this year.  Jamilya Masylbekova took an amazing fifty-two seconds off her previous personal best set last week.  She placed seventy-second in 20:48.  Michaela Gingerich chopped 26 seconds off her PR.  Her new personal record is 21:43 which earned her seventy-sixth place.  Lauren Benzing of Solon won the race for the second year in a row.  Her time this year was 14:44, a full minute ahead of second place.    

Michaela Gingerich

Renee Buckwalter

Maddie Miller

Jamilya Masylbekova

Camila Segar

A big “Thanks” to all the volunteers who helped Monday evening at the meet.  The meet went smoothly thanks to all your work!

The Iowa Mennonite Cross Country teams have their next competition at the Southeast Iowa Super Conference in Keosauqua on Thursday.