Ravens Host Invitational Meet
Hillcrest Academy hosted its annual Invitational Cross Country meet Monday on campus. The meet featured two junior high school races and four high school races. 382 runners finished the six races. Pella Green won the boys team title with a perfect score of 15. Hillcrest Academy placed sixth in the field of nine schools. Five of the six Ravens in the boys varsity race had career best performances. Senior Jesse Blossom led the way placing twenty-fifth in 19:17. It is his new personal best. Senior Micah Gerber was next placing thirty-fifth in 19:45. Micah was back after an absence due to injury, yet finished the course forty seconds faster than he did at the Early Bird home meet about one month ago. Braden Hartsock took nearly thirty seconds off his personal best finishing in 20:13 for forty-first place. Isaac Beachy ran fifty seconds faster than he did on the course in September placing forty-eighth. His new personal best time is 20:24. Senior Jeremiah Danker took forty seconds off his previous best time to place sixty-second in 22:00. Mateo Rodriguez-Yoder placed sixty-ninth in 22:48. This is one minute faster than his previous best time. Pella junior Canaan Dunham won the race in a course record time of 16:06.78, breaking his own record of 16:21 set last year.
Boys Results
Jesse Blossom 25th 19:17
Micah Gerber 35th 19:45
Braden Hartsock 41st 20:13
Isaac Beachy 48th 20:24
Jeremiah Danker 62nd 22:00
Mateo Rodriguez-Yoder 69th 22:48
Team Scores
Pella Green 15
Pella White 64
Louisa-Muscatine 117
Regina 130
Fairfield 132
West Liberty 172
Hillcrest 175
Mount Pleasant 183
HLV 220
Sigourney 230
The Ravens’ girls’ team placed third of seven schools in the girls race behind Pella and English Valleys. Pella fielded two complete varsity squads taking both first and second places in the team standings. Marie Yoder placed eighth in 20:09. Yoder was thirty seconds faster than she was last month on the same course. Siena Stanerson took over thirty seconds off her previous best effort set last week. Stanerson placed eleventh in 20:44. Fellow junior Rya Scott also had a career best Thursday. Scott ran 23:02 to place thirty-fifth. Senior Delaney Shaw placed fifty-second in 25:49. This was thirty-eighth seconds faster than her time on the course at the Early Bird meet. Brynna O’Rourke had a season best time of 27:45 to place sixty-sixth. Junior Marissa Ferebee of Pella won the race for the third time. Her time this year of 18:18.68 is the new course record. Elsie Brenneman, also of Pella, placed second in 18:36. Marie Hostetler of Mid-Prairie set the previous record of 18:40 in 2019.
Girls Results
Marie Yoder 8th 20:09
Siena Stanerson 11th 20:44
Rya Scott 35th 23:02
Delaney Shaw 52nd 25:49
Brynna O’Rourke 66th 27:45
Team Scores
Pella Green 15
Pella White 70
English Valleys 74
Hillcrest 127
Regina 134
Fairfield 156
Mount Pleasant 173
Lone Tree 199
Twelve athletes from Hillcrest competed in the junior high races. The Hillcrest boys team placed fourth of nine teams. Calvin Meller, Simon Willems, Evan Slaubaugh, Kellen Miller, Noah Coblenz and Paxton Wilson all had personal best times.
The Hillcrest Academy cross country teams have their next competition at the Southeast Iowa Super Conference meet hosted by Columbus at Cedar Crest Golf course Tuesday, October 15.
Boys Varsity Complete Results
Boys JV Complete Results
Boys Middle School Complete Results
Girls Varsity Complete Results
Girls JV Complete Results
Girls Middle School Complete Results
Middle School Meet photos and more High School race photos to come!
