Monticello girls: ‘Today, it was our turn’

FORT DODGE - A championship streak came to an end for Monticello High School.

Another one may have begun.

Individual champion Paige Holub led a pack of fierce freshmen as the Panthers captured the Class 2A girls' crown at the state cross country meet Saturday afternoon at Lakeside Golf Course.

'We just went out and ran,” Holub said. 'Everybody's so used to our boys winning out here. Today, it was our turn.”

With five freshmen in the lineup, including all of the top four finishers, the Panthers scored 63 points for a decisive victory. River Valley Conference rival Cascade was second with 92.

A few minutes later, a three-year reign by the Monticello boys came to an end. East Marshall outran the Panthers, 84-106.

'You know your program's in a good spot when you hang your heads a little about a runner-up finish,” said Dan Sauser, who coaches both of the Monti teams. 'Personally, I couldn't be more pleased. To come home with two trophies, I couldn't be happier.”

You never know how girls will progress after their freshman year, but it's possible that Monticello is poised to stay at the top for a while.

'We've got a good group of seven or eight girls coming back, and we've got a couple eighth-graders that will be pushing for varsity spots next year,” Sauser said. 'They could be special for quite a few years.”

Running back and forth with Cascade's Becca McDermott for much of the race, Holub finally prevailed in 14:58. McDermott finished in 15:03.

'It all felt right, so I just went out and ran,” Holub said.

Jordyn Patterson (10th), Taylor McDonald (13th) and Rachel Larabee (27th) were Monticello's next three runners. They're ninth-graders, as well. Junior Ellen Schlarmann was 29th.

McDermott was the runner-up for the second straight year.

'I wish the outcome would have been a little different, but I've never given so much for a race,” she said. 'I wasn't expecting (Holub) to be at the front. I'm happy for her. She deserves it.”

Kylie Kelchen and Macie Weber were fourth and seventh for Cascade. Mid-Prairie's Anna Hostetler was sixth.

Tipton's Eric Lenz capped an undefeated season, running to the front immediately and winning the 2A boys' crown in 16:09, 9 seconds ahead of the field.

'It was a great season, but I couldn't have done it without my teammates, my coaches and my parents,” Lenz said. 'Every meet, I go out hard like that, then make people come beat me.”

Nobody could Saturday, and nobody could all fall.

'You're not going to have your best race every time out, so you've just got to have mental toughness. You've got to tell yourself you're not going to get beat,” Lenz said.

Danny Halva of North Fayette Valley was third. Matt Manternach led Monticello's bid with a fifth-place finish. Jared Draper of Mid-Prairie and Preston Kauder of Cascade were ninth and 10th.

STATE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saturday, at Lakeside Golf Course, Fort Dodge

CLASS 2A GIRLS

Teams - 1. Monticello 63, 2. Cascade 92, 3. Osage 130, 4. Unity Christian 151, 5. Western Christian 161, 6. Mid-Prairie 169, 7. Des Moines Christian 183, 8. Mediapolis 216, 9. Kingsley-Pierson/Woodbury Cenral 226, 10. North Polk 241, 11. Dike-New Hartford 267, 12. North Fayette Valley 286, 13. South Hardin 301, 14. West Central Valley 304, 15. Red Oak 333.

Individuals - 1. Paige Holub (Monticello), 14:58; 2. Becca McDermott (Cascade), 15:03; 3. Ellie Friesen (Osage), 15:26; 4. Kylie Kelchen (Cascade), 15:28; 5. Kenedie Kats (Western Christian), 15:32; 6. Anna Hostetler (Mid-Prairie), 15:38; 7. Macie Weber (Cascade), 15:38; 8. Haley Fye (East Marshall), 15:39; 9. Bailey Hare (OA-BCIG), 15:40; 10. Jordyn Patterson (Monticello), 15:44; 11. Suzanne Putze (KP-WC), 15:49; 12. Sydney Clark (DM Christian), 15:55; 13. Taylor McDonald (Monticello), 15:56; 14. Madysan Dick (South Central Calhoun), 15:56; 15. Savannah Banwart (Mediapolis), 15:58.

CLASS 2A BOYS

Teams - 1. East Marshall 84, 2. Monticello 106, 3. Unity Christian 114, 4. Garner GHV 147, 5. Shenandoah 152, 6. Western Chritian 157, 7. Osage 171, 8. Red Oak 230, 9. Albia 234, 10. Davis County 235, 11. Northeast 246, 12. Louisa-Muscatine 257, 13. Southeast Valley 259, 14. Waukon 266, 15. Sioux Center 268.

Individuals - 1. Eric Lenz (Tipton), 16:09; 2. Chase Smith (Garner GHV), 16:18; 3. Danny Halva (North Fayette Valley), 16:20; 4. John Crew (Dike-New Hartford), 16:21; 5. Matt Manternach (Monticello), 16:21; 6. Gable Sieperda (GLR-Central Lyon), 16:30; 7. C.J. May (Aplington-Parkersburg), 16:38; 8. Lee Christensen (Estherville ELC), 16:39; 9. Jared Draper (Mid-Prairie), 16:41; 10. Preston Kauder (Cascade), 16:43; 11. Schuyler Malenke (Unity Christian), 16:46; 12. Caleb Benzing (East Marshall), 16:56; 13. Colton Dorpinghaus (Albia), 16:58; 14. Jacob Vander Plaats (Unity Christian), 16:59; 15. Tanner Schrad (South Central Calhoun), 17:05.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com