Bulldog freshman medals in first state meet run

FORT DODGE – Lydia Maas came to Fort Dodge’s Kennedy Park with something to prove.

The Bulldog freshman maybe didn’t run her goal time nor have a great start, but she finished eighth overall in a field of 131 Class 3A runners at the state cross country meet to earn her first in what she hopes is four state medals.

“Going into it, my goal was to get a top-10 place,” Maas said. “And I wanted to run 18:40, and I didn’t see my time, but I think it was in the 19s. So, I didn’t run a time that I wanted, but I think I placed really well; and this course was flat, there were a couple of hills, so I’m not dwelling on my time too much because I really proud of what I did apart from that.”

Maas ran to a time of 19 minutes, 14.1 seconds on Friday, Oct. 30, not her best, as she wanted, but she accomplished something she hadn’t so far this season in three previous races, passing and finishing ahead of Iowa Falls-Alden/AGWSR senior Ellie Meyer, who finished top-10 for the second straight year.

“I think my motivation at this meet was really high because the qualifying meet, I was very nervous for,” Maas said, “and after that, I was really excited for this one. I kind of saw it as an opportunity to push myself and see what I could accomplish when some of the pressure was off. I think I did a good job of that and staying out of my own head, was the biggest thing. I think doing that really helped me because I just relaxed, remembered to have fun with it and that made a big difference.”

Starting from the very far end box, Maas got stuck in a middle pack in the very first mile, something that displeased her. She methodically worked her way up as the miles ticked off.

“So, I didn’t get out very good at all,” Maas said. “And I was really back and wasn’t happy with that. So, I started picking a couple of girls off and I think after the first mile, I’d gotten five-ish, after the first mile, I was top-15 or close to it.

“And, the goal was top-10, so I wasn’t happy with 15, so I started picking some more girls off and that is when I started getting closer to Ellie and then knowing that beating Ellie was a possibility, I got really excited, and that was another boost and some energy that I put into that. After that was the finish and the finish was really cool because a lot of people (were there) and it was loud and exciting, your adrenaline gets going even more than it already is. In the end, I really wanted to get…I was with a girl and we were eighth and ninth, and I really wanted to get past her and I did end up doing that, that’s how it went.”

The style of course suited Maas well and she said she liked the layout of it for her first state meet run.

“I did really like the course,” Maas said. “I’m not a fan of lap courses where you run in circles, and this isn’t one, so that’s good. It’s not super-scenic, but it gets kind of pretty when you get down towards the middle of it, so that was cool. And, the environment here is very different from our regular season meets, so I think the people that were there and kind of lining the sides, were really helpful when you got tired.”

She had plenty of teammates and classmates in the crowd to support her, mobbing her after she left the finish line. Maas said she felt their presence during her run.

“They were really loud, so I definitely heard them,” Maas said. “I saw a couple of people, but I try not to look around, I try to look forward, but I definitely could tell they were there, they were really loud.”

This season has proved to be a motivator for seasons to come for Maas.

“We’re going to take a couple of weeks off, my legs are pretty tired,” Maas said. “I think after that, I’m going to play some basketball this Winter, I’m excited for track this Spring, see what happens then and I think just remembering all the hard work does pay off, when it gets hard, it’s more motivation from what I did this season and what came out of it. To use it when things get hard.”

2020 Class 3A State Cross Country

Girls Top-15 (Medalists)

1. Shewaye Johnson, Ballard 17:55.3; 2. Paityn Noe, Ballard 18:01.1; 3. Ainsley Erzen, Carlisle 18:46.7; 4. Kiki Connell, Charles City 18:54.1; 5. Emma Hoins, Waverly-Shell Rock 19:01.3; 6. Rebecca Anderson, Decorah 19:05.5; 7. Geneva Timmerman, ADM 19:09.7; 8. Lydia Maas, Hampton-Dumont 19:14.1; 9. Gabby Moran, Dubuque Wahlert 19:16.8; 10. Ellie Meyer, IF-A/AGWSR 19:24.7; 11. Kami Smith, Dallas Center-Grimes 19:26.5; 12. Megan Sterbenz, Dallas Center-Grimes 19:26.5; 13. Alix Oliver, Dubuque Wahlert 19:31.3; 14. Braelyn Baker, Creston 19:32.9; 15. Brooklyn Stanley, Sioux City Heelan 19:44.2.