It was a cool 50-degree morning on Saturday when the cross country team took off at Crow Creek Park with 17 other teams. The girls’ cross-country team competed at Pleasant Valley in the Spartan XC Challenge on September sixth, finishing in fourth place with 95 points. The Little Hawks are currently ranked 5th in the state of Iowa.
“Everyone was excited to run because we all know we can improve in some way at PV. Running at PV gives you a different type of adrenaline on the line, makes it feel like a fast course no matter what time you run, ” Kelsey Herrig ‘28 said.
The team held onto their fourth-place finish from last year, beating their cross-town rivals, Iowa City West, and Liberty. Top three finishes for Varsity include Abigail Burns taking sixth, Grace Hamann placing ninth, and Eliza Doster finishing 11th. JV top finishes include Lucy Sherburne, finishing in sixth, and Adrianna Coiner, dropping five minutes and 24 seconds from her run at the Spartan Challenge in 2024. City had two top ten finishers, improving from last year.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how this team continues to grow, and have as much fun as possible,” Coach Ryan Ahlers said.
The team began training in mid-August and has been preparing for their meets ever since.
“At Luther, definitely the vibe of the meet is awesome. It’s a true cross-country experience,” Coach Ryan Ahlers said.
The City High girls’ cross-country team will compete in its next meet on September 13th at Luther College. Their home meet, the Bud and Bonnie Williams Invitational, is on October 2nd at Kickers Soccer Complex.
