Meyer posts top-10 finish in Class 3A

FORT DODGE – In an effort to create excitement for the Iowa Falls-Alden/AGWSR program, all of Ellie Meyer’s teammates were in Fort Dodge to support the junior runner.

She summoned everything she had with that support to work her way to a top-10 finish and her first state medal in Class 3A with a time of 19 minutes, 10.7 seconds.

“I’m tired, my abs hurt really bad and I’m sore…I left no regrets on the course and ran one of the gutsiest races of my life and it turned out well for me.”

Early in the race, Meyer was running among the top-20, keeping a little ahead of four-time North Central Conference champion Bryce Gidel. She slowly started picking runners off and by the two-mile mark she was running in the No. 13 spot.

“I was trying to run next to Bryce and got ahead of her, which was good,” Meyer said. “I saw all the girls I knew would be here around where I was. It’s a relief having those girls there to know where I should be on the course.

By the time Meyer passed the bridge and charged up one of the last hills before the finish line, she had moved up a spot to No. 12. She managed to pass two more runners along the way to finish at No. 10. Gidel faded near the end and placed 36th.

“It takes so much energy out of you,” Meyer said. “You try to sprint at the end and you’re going into the wind and it’s just hard to keep going. It’s a hard race.”

IF-A/AGWSR coach Mike Rottink said that she improved a lot from her previous years at state.

“She moved up from where she was last year and is sitting really well with the competition that we’ve got,” Rottink said. “We had most of the girls here from the team to be motivated to hopefully get everyone down here next year.

“When you have a whole group of enthusiastic kids that we have right now, that helps out. One person can’t make a team, but having a leader like Ellie has really helped with the freshmen girls.”

Meyer said she was glad to see her teammates there.

“I hope that showing them how the race is supposed to go when they’re here and running this; hope I can show them and lead them next season to help build the program up.”

Class 3A Girls State Cross Country

Area Result

10. Ellie Meyer (IF-A/AGWSR) 19:10.7.