Warhawks qualify two for state meet

MANLY – Both Kacie Eisentrager and Cail Weaver were wistful while celebrating their second state cross country meet berth on Thursday, Oct. 22.

Eisentrager really hoped that at least one teammate, if not her whole team would join her this time.

Weaver wanted the rest of the team to return again.

Both fell short of that goal as the West Fork boys finished third in the team race – the top two teams qualified. The top-10 individuals also were qualifiers – and the next best finish for the girls was RaeLynn Nash at No. 14 and for the boys, Jakob Washington at No. 11, only three seconds out of the top-10.

“I was really hoping they could join me this time,” Eisentrager said. “They’ll be there to support me.”

Eisentrager added that she was glad she could get one really good run in before the state meet – and this was the one. She was only three seconds off of her personal best.

“When I looked up at the clock and saw 20:40, I was really hoping I could get it,” Eisentrager said. “I really kicked it in, but I’m glad that I could got one good race in this season.”

She finished third overall in 20:54.06.

Weaver, who finished sixth overall in 17:30.33, had an aim of making it back-to-back trips to Fort Dodge with his teammates.

“Being my second year in cross country, it’s pretty awesome to be able to go back down to the state meet,” Weaver said. “I’m hoping, I don’t know; I know I made it individually, I thought maybe Jakob, that’s tough. I hope the team makes it, I’d love to run with them one more time.

“They’ll still be down with me at state, it just won’t be the same atmosphere without them in the starting line with me, but I have to run my best at state, as well, though. We’ll all be down there still as a team, what-not.”

Previous state-qualifying meet had the top-three teams qualify and the top-15 individuals, however, since more meets were split up because of COVID-19, the qualifiers were pared down.

“It won’t be nearly as fun to run with them, of course,” Weaver said.

Earning the trip for the boys were Mason City Newman and Central Springs. Mason City Newman and Nashua-Plainfield girls were the team qualifiers out of Manly. West Fork’s girls’ team was fourth overall. The individual champions were Riley Witt of St. Ansgar among the boys and North Tama’s Grace Lidgett for the girls.

The Class 1A portion of the state meet will be held Saturday, Oct. 31 at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge.

2020 District Meet at Manly

Girls Team Scoring

1. Mason City Newman 46; 2. Nashua-Plainfield 53; 3. Aplington-Parkersburg 80; 4. West Fork 102; 5. St. Ansgar 146; 6. Clarksville 148; 7. West Hancock 176; 8. Algona Garrigan 193; 9. North Butler 217; 10. Riceville 245.

State qualifiers (top-10)– 1. Grace Lidgett, N. Tama 20:30.26; 2. Chloe Matthews, N-P 20:48.91; 3. Kacie Eisentrager W. Fork 20:54.06; 4. Rachel Leerar, W. Hancock 21:04.55; 5. Maggie McBride 21:15.29; 6. Aubrey Eick, N-P 21:28.74; 7. Lilly Stockberger, Newman 21:31.53; 8. Jules Breakenridge, N. Tama 21:32.86; 9. Kenna Hemann, Newman 21:34.89; 10. Miriam Beenken, N. Iowa 21:35.92.

West Fork (102)– 3. Kacie Eisentrager 20:54.06; 11. RaeLynn Nash 22:06.50; 23. Olivia Jones 22:47.22; 30. Mycah Weaver 23:53.22; 36. Jordan Swenson 24:05.40; 47. Ava Henricks 25:22.76.

Boys Team Scoring

1. Mason City Newman 65; 2. Central Springs 74; 3. West Fork 90; 4. North Butler 110; 5. BCLUW 123; 6. St. Ansgar 145; 7. Algona Garrigan 159; 8. Aplington-Parkersburg 211; 9. Lake Mills 225; 10. Nashua-Plainfield 226; 11. GMG 299; 12. West Hancock 333; 13. North Iowa 338.

State qualifiers (top-10)– 1. Riley Witt, St. Ansgar 16:36.71; 2. Bryce McDonough, Central Springs 17:12.24; 3. Sam Snyder, No. Tama 17:19.44; 4. Joey Ringo, Mason City Newman 17:20.53; 5. Owen Almelien, No. Butler 17:26.34; 6. Cail Weaver, W. Fork 17:30.33; 7. Michael Knock, No. Butler 17:30.82; 8. Ryan Kelly, Newman 17:31.45; 9. Quinn Swift, Algona Garrigan 17:36.38; 10. Henry Kaisand, BCLUW 17:48.48.

West Fork (90)– 5. Cail Weaver 17:30.33; 10. Jakob Washington 17:51.22; 15. Sage Suntken 18:20.74; 19. Noah Maske 18:49.25; 41. Colin Martinek 20:18.84; 65. Jacob Swenson 21:40.44; 72. Sander Tompkins 22:10.35.