Xavier cross country picking up steam

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Xavier boys' cross country team is setting a quick pace for the year.

Senior captains Steven Culpepper and Jonathan Francois are ranked fifth and 20th, respectively, in the state by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. The Saints are ranked eighth as a team in Class 3A.

'The team has worked really hard this season and it's paying off a lot,” sophomore Nolan Pithan said. 'There have been lots of great races by everyone and I'm excited to see how the season ends up. We've put in extra morning practices and extra sprints every week. Every day people surprise me at how hard they are willing to work.”

The boys' team placed 14th out of 20 teams at the Cedar Rapids Invitational last month while competing in an all-class competition, finishing with an average time of 17:55. The Saints seventh out of 20 teams at the Luther All-American meet with an average team time of 17:55.

'It was really exciting to go out to such a great course and compete in such a talented group of runners from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa,” Francois said. 'Topping two ranked teams, Charles City and Decorah, was a great way to show the 3A competition that Xavier is running for state.”

The Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet is today in Waterloo.