Ravens Host Early Bird Meet - Hillcrest Ravens

Hillcrest Academy Cross Country Hillcrest Early Bird
September 3, 2024

The Girls Hillcrest Ravens cross country team placed fourth in a field of six full teams at their home opener. Hillcrest Academy hosted the Early Bird cross country meet on Tuesday, September 3 on the school’s campus and in the nearby Joetown woods. It was 77 degrees with clear skies. Eleven schools participated in the meet. Raven Freshman Marie Yoder placed third in 20:40 leading much of the race. Junior Siena Stanerson made her debut on the Raven cross country team placing tenth in 22:18. Stanerson took two minutes off her time at this meet last year. Senior Delaney Shaw placed thirtieth in 26:27. Shaw has improved each year she has run this meet with this year’s time 1:40 better than her time last year. Sophomore Brynna O’Rourke took nearly one minute off her time at this meet last year. She placed thirty-fifth in 28:54. Samantha Mize was a late addition to the roster. She finished her first 5k cross country race allowing the team to have the five finishers needed for a team score. Forty-seven runners finished the girls’ varsity race. The girls’ junior varsity race had 76 finishers. Junior Abigal Burns of City High won the girls’ race. Her time was 20:35. City High won the girls team race with a low score of 20.

Girls Varsity Results
Marie Yoder 3^rd 20:40
Siena Stanerson 10^th 22:18
Delaney Shaw 30^th 26:27
Brynna O’Rourke 35^th 28:54
Samantha Mize 46^th 36:13

47 runners finished the girls’ varsity race.

Team Scores
City High 20
English Valleys 65
Cedar Rapids Washington 92
Hillcrest Academy 106
Cedar Rapids Jefferson 114
Columbus 146

The Ravens boys team also placed fourth in a field of six full teams. Senior Jesse Blossom led the way placing eleventh in 20:09. His time was over one minute faster than he ran at this meet last year. Senior Micah Gerber placed sixteenth in 20:25. Sophomore Braden Hartsock was the team’s number three finishing in 21:12 for twenty-second place. Hartsock ran over 1:30 faster per mile than his pace at this meet last year. Sophomore Isaac Beachy was a few steps and one place behind Hartsock. Beachy negative split the race improving over two minutes from his time at the early bird last year. Junior Micah Kacmarynski has also improved much over the last year. He finished in 22:57 for thirty-sixth place. Senior Jeremiah Danker placed fortieth in 24:11. Danker was one minute faster than his time last year. Kyle Neuschwander placed forty-seventh in 27:10.

Senior Gage Heyne of English Valleys won the race in a meet record time of 16:47.26. Columbus won the team title with 39 points.

Freshman Mateo Rodriguez-Yoder placed eleventh in the junior varsity race in 24:38. There were thirty-four finishers in the boys’ JV race.

The Ravens compete next at Fairfield Thursday, September 12.

Boys Varsity Results
Jesse Blossom 11^th 20:09
Micah Gerber 16^th 20:25
Braden Hartsock 22^nd 21:12
Isaac Beachy 23^rd 21:14
Micah Kacmarynski 36^th 22:57
Jeremiah Danker 40^th 24:11
Kyle Neuschwander 47^th 27:10