Warhawks runners-up at their own meet

ROCKWELL – With one final determined sprint to the finish, West Fork senior Cail Weaver couldn’t overcome Newman’s Joey Ringo for the individual varsity boys’ title at Linn Grove Country Club on Monday, Sept. 21.

Weaver, who trailed Ringo by a larger margin than the final sprint, made it a race by the time the duo reached the bridge.

“We were probably right before the bridge,” Weaver said. “It was an easy 400 meters when we both started kicking. It was a sprint to the finish, for sure.

“I definitely thought it was possible (to catch him), because he had started to slow down and that’s when I started my kick, but he saw me coming and coming down this hill, I was probably a step behind him, but it was definitely achievable with both of us going as fast as possible.”

The difference between Ringo and Weaver was .59 of a second. Newman claimed the team race by a close 36-41 margin.

Four Warhawks were in the top-10 with Noah Maske being edged by North Butler’s Owen Almelien for third, Sage Suntken was eighth and Jakob Washington, running in his first meet of the season, rounding out the top-10.

“I think we did fine for now (in the team race),” Weaver said. “Jakob is still recovering, so he’ll be up there eventually. I’m not too worried about him right now. Overall, we did well. We had a good top-four. We just need someone to step up as a fifth now.”

West Fork’s fifth runner, Colin Martinek, finished right at 20 while Newman’s fifth runner was 13th.

Washington said before the race he still wasn’t 100 percent after severely spraining his ankle in off-season basketball workouts shortly before the season began.

“We’re just extremely happy to have Jakob running. We need him big-time, but not necessarily right now, we are going to need him later on, as long as he’s able to run, we’re definitely going to have a good year.”

During the girls’ race Kacie Eisentrager led for much of it until the final half-mile where she was passed by Newman’s Maggie McBride. The junior for the Lady Knights claimed the top spot by 16 seconds.

The difference, Eisentrager said, was the training and conditioning.

“I really think that we haven’t been running as many hills lately and my legs are just feeling…It’s just me getting back to running more miles and getting on my legs and strength back,” Eisentrager said. “She caught up to me when we were going up the hill on the fourth lap. My legs just couldn’t take the cement hill, they just weren’t…it just wasn’t my day.

“I think it will be me working through, coaching my body a little bit more and pushing through a little bit more pain.”

The Warhawks were also runners-up to Newman, 23-60.

“I think we did a lot better than we have,” Eisentrager said of the team. “A lot of pushing each other and competing in the meets, to fight and push our times. I’m really hoping we keep pushing my time down, get back down to 21s, 20s, hopefully. And hoping to push the team down, I really want to make it as a team this year.”

West Fork Invitational

Girls Team Scoring

1. Mason City Newman 23; 2. West Fork 60; 3. Belmond-Klemme 103; 4. North Butler 116.

West Fork (60) – 2. Kacie Eisentrager 22:30.94; 12. RaeLynn Nash 24:14.48; 13. Mycah Weaver 24:20.61; 16. Jordan Swenson 25:30.30; 17. Olivia Jones 25:30.81; 23. Madelynn Welbus 26:41.25; 29. Ava Henricks 29:28.98.

Boys Team Scoring

1. Mason City Newman 36; 2. West Fork 41; 3. North Butler 71; 4. Lake Mills 110; 5. Belmond-Klemme 111.

West Fork (41)– 2. Cail Weaver 18:22.79; 4. Noah Maske 18:39.90; 8. Sage Suntken 19:29.00; 10. Jakob Washington 19:38.88; 20. Colin Martinek 21:10.76; 27. Trent Despenas 22:19.49; 29. Austin Atlick 22:30.40; 30. Ethan Shields 22:30.58; 41. Josh Hagen 24:27.34; 42. Sander Tompkins 24:27.98; 47. Blake White 26:06.59; 53. Edison Maske 27:58.26.