Ravens Cross Country Host Early Bird Meet

**Jesse Blossom runs at the home cross country meet in 2022.** Photo credit: Hillcrest Academy Yearbook Staff

Hillcrest Academy hosted the Early Bird cross country meet Tuesday, August 29 on the school’s campus and in the nearby Joetown woods. It was 81 degrees with clear skies. Ten schools participated in the meet. Raven Freshman Marie Yoder placed third in 21:35 in her high school debut. Junior Delaney Shaw placed twenty-second in 28:10. Shaw has improved each year she has run this meet. Freshman Brynna O’Rourke also had her first high school race placing twenty-seventh in 29:50. Thirty-nine runners finished the girls varsity race. Junior Ani Wedemeyer of City High won the girls race for the third year. Her time was 20:35. City High won the girls team race with a perfect score of 15.

Girls Varsity Results
Marie Yoder 3^rd 21:35
Delaney Shaw 22^nd 28:10
Brynna O’Rourke 27^th 29:50
39 runners finished the girls Varsity race.

Team Scores
City High 15
English Valleys 52
Wapello 85
Cedar Rapids Jefferson 90

The Hillcrest Ravens placed second in the boys varsity race behind Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Five schools had incomplete teams. Micah Gerber led the way for the Ravens placing fifth in 20:11. Freshman Mason Wilson was next for the Ravens in eighth place with a time of 20:57. Jesse Blossom was the third Raven placing tenth in 21:19. Freshman Isaac Beachy placed seventeenth in 23:27. Jeremiah Danker placed twenty-third in 25:17 as the fifth Raven finisher. Freshman Braden Hartsock had a great first high school race finishing in 26:00 for twenty-fifth place. Kyle Neuschwander placed thirtieth in 27:02. Curtis Sanders of Cedar Rapids Jefferson won the race in 18:58. Cedar Rapids Jefferson won the team title with 21 points.

Micah Kacmarynski and Alex Castillo competed in the junior varsity race. Kacmarynski placed fifth in 26:18 and Castillo placed seventh in 27:25.

Boys Varsity Results
Micah Gerber 5^th 20:11
Mason Wilson 8^th 20:57
Jesse Blossom 10^th 21:19
Isaac Beachy 17^th 23:27
Jeremiah Danker 23^rd 25:17
Braden Hartsock 25^th 26:00
Kyle Neuschwander 30^th 27:02

Team Scores
Cedar Rapids Jefferson 21
Hillcrest Academy 39
35 runners finished the boys varsity race.

The Ravens compete next at Fairfield Thursday September 7.

Complete Results
Girls JV
Boys JV
Girls V
Boys V