Kolby Greiner, Reagan Gorman beat the heat, and everybody else

CEDAR RAPIDS - It was hot. It was windy.

'It was the worst of both worlds,” according to Cedar Rapids Washington's Reagan Gorman.

Kolby Greiner is leery of heat, too. His first varsity race, as a freshman, he collapsed on a 98-degree day. So he's a serious weather tracker.

'We had that jump last week from the 60s to the 80s, and I've had problems with the heat in the past,” said Greiner, the star from Iowa City West.

'My coach wanted me to keep this at a tempo run.”

Greiner's tempo is faster than most.

The junior built a big lead by the midpoint of the race and captured the boys' individual title of the Eastern Iowa Classic cross country meet Thursday afternoon at Seminole Valley Park. Greiner was clocked in 16:03, which was 39 seconds ahead of the next finisher.

That effort led West to top billing in a five-team boys' field on a 90-degree afternoon.

The Trojans accumulated 43 points, which edged Cedar Rapids Washington (50) and Cedar Rapids Kennedy (51).

'Most of all, it was good to see the team win,” Greiner said. 'I'm training to get down to 15:20. I've got the next couple weeks to condition, then it's time to gear up for state.”

Muscatine was the girls' champion with 40 points, followed by Kennedy (57) and Washington (60).

Gorman, a junior, ran with Muscatine's Moriah Morter for the first half of the girls' race before breaking away and winning by 41 seconds, in 20:01.

'I got ahead, and my legs felt good, so I figured I'd might as well keep going,” she said.

Kennedy's Hannah Fusselman and Lauren Gray were fourth and sixth.

Jonathan Lansing of Cedar Rapids Xavier was the boys' runner-up, in 16:42. Jacob Green of Kennedy was third, followed by Washington's Paul Schneidermann and Max Locher.

EASTERN IOWA CROSS COUNTRY CLASSIC

At Seminole Valley Park

GIRLS RESULTS

Teams - 1. Muscatine 40, 2. C.R. Kennedy 57, 3. C.R. Washington 60, 4. Iowa City Regina 74, 5. C.R. Xavier 103.

Individuals - 1. Reagan Gorman (CRW), 20:01; 2. Moriah Morter (Musc), 20:42; 3. Emmie Smith (Musc), 21:05; 4. Hannah Fusselman (CRK), 21:33; 5. Rylee Blake (Musc), 21:43.

Kennedy - 4. Fusselman, 6. Lauren Gray, 21:44; 9. Brianna McLaughlin, 22:38; 15. Erica Schulte. 23:02; 23. Olivia Hamblin, 23:17.

Washington - 1. Gorman, 8. Mary Cline, 22:24; 11. Sarah Altemeier, 22:42; 19. Sydney Mitvalsky, 23:10; 21. JoJo Hayes, 23:11.

Regina - 10. Nourah Abusada, 22:41; 12. Molly Vittetoe, 22:47; 14. Lauren Gaarde, 22:54; 16. Kennedy Scott, 23:05; 22. Emma Welter, 23:12.

Xavier - 7. Ellie Tanko, 22:19; 18. Claire Iversen, 23:08; 20. Rilee Lansing, 23:11; 27. Megan Meyer, 23:36; 34. Bridget Smith, 24:11.

BOYS RESULTS

Teams - 1. Iowa City West 43, 2. C.R. Washington 50, 3. C.R. Kennedy 51, 4. C.R. Xavier 72, 5. Iowa City Regina 150.

Individuals - 1. Kolby Greiner (ICW), 16:03; 2. Jonathan Lansing (CRX), 16:42; 3. Jacob Green (CRK), 16:51; 4. Paul Schneidermann (CRW), 16:52; 5. Max Locher (CRW), 16:57.

I.C. West - 1. Greiner, 8. Ethan Goers, 17:07; 9. Ethan Trepka, 17:07; 12. Yousef Salama, 17:23; 13. Kyle Sulwer, 17:28.

Washington - 4. Schneidermann, 5. Locher, 11. Lewis Kleman, 17:13; 14. Khory Nobles, 17:29; 16. Caleb Kleman, 17:43.

Kennedy - 3. Green, 6. Jackson Foley, 16:59; 10. Lucas Middlekauff, 17:12; 15. Ricardo Calderon, 17:42; 17. Sean Casey, 17:43.

Xavier - 2. Lansing, 7. John Pape, 16:59; 18. Jack Renning, 17:50; 20. Nolan Pithan, 17:55; 27. Colby Flynn, 18:23.

Regina - 26. Nathan Meyer, 18:23; 41. Anthony Knepper, 19:44; 43. Joe Lipsius, 20:31; 44. Zach Kratz, 20:47; 45. Robert Beck, 21:04.

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