Monticello sweeps Lynx Invite crowns

TROY MILLS - Matt Manternach views himself as just another link in a chain of cross country greatness.

'We all like to look at the past runners as role models,” said the senior at Monticello High School. 'We are working hard to replicate what they do, and keep it going.”

Monticello has something special going in cross country, and has for quite some time. The Panthers were the class of the field - both boys and girls - at the Lynx Invitational on Saturday at the North-Linn Community Schools complex.

Manternach and Jordan Loes ran second and fourth to lead the Panthers to a comfortable conquest on the boys' side. Monticello scored 69 points; Mount Pleasant was second with 91, followed by Mid-Prairie (113) and Vinton-Shellsburg (117).

In the girls' race, runner-up Paige Holub paced the Panthers to the title with 68 points. River Valley Conference rival Cascade was next with 96, followed by South Winneshiek (117) and Marion (124).

Last year, Monticello's freshman-dominated girls' squad won a Class 2A state championship while the boys settled for second after a three-year title run.

'We have a little bitter taste in our mouths about that,” Manternach said. 'That's what we're focusing on. We want to go out on top.”

Logan Murray of Mount Pleasant won the boys' title in 16:08. Manternach was next in 16:15. Then it was Jeremy Fopma of Marion (16:27) and Loes (16:44).

'Today was perfect,” Manternach said of the cool weather and the fast course. 'I really like running in the morning. It was great weather, then you've got the rest of the day to yourself.”

Marion senior Maddie Bach broke from a four-girl pack shortly after the mile mark, and finished in a career-beat 18:50. Holub, the 2A individual state champion last year as a freshman, was second in 18:56.

'At first, I thought our pace was too slow, but at the mile I was right where I wanted to be,” Bach said. 'Toward the end, I heard somebody yell - I think it was my dad - that I was right on pace to break 19 (minutes), so I took off.”

Bach will be one of the favorites Thursday at the Wamac Conference meet at Independence. So will Julie Hollensbe of Williamsburg and Lily Horst of Vinton-Shellsburg, who finished third and fourth Saturday.

'I'm excited,” Bach said. 'I'll definitely have a target on my back. I'm definitely going for a conference championship, that's for sure.”

LYNX INVITATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY MEET

At Troy Mills

Girls Results

Teams - 1. Monticello 68, 2. Cascade 96, 3. South Winneshiek 117, 4. Marion 124, 5. Vinton-Shellsburg 143, 6. Williamsburg 170, 7. Iowa City Regina 206, 8. Mid-Prairie 210, 9. Starmont 251, 10. Solon 256, 11. Center Point-Urbana 283, 12. Benton Community 311, 13. Tipton 328, 14. North-Linn 330, 15. Bellevue Marquette 367, 16. Mount Pleasant 413, 17. Edgewood-Colesburg 452, 18. Maquoketa Valley 503.

Individuals - 1. Maddie Bach (Marion), 18:50; 2. Paige Holub (Monti), 18:56; 3. Julie Hollensbe (Wmsbg), 19:11; 4. Lily Horst (V-Sh), 19:15; 5. Shelby Reicks (SWinn), 19:38; 6. Becca McDermott (Cascade), 19:42; 7. Gracie Horst (V-Sh), 19:42; 8. Josie Kriener (SWinn), 19:43; 9. Kenzie Mente (Tipton), 19:48; 10. Molly Blondin (ICR), 19:49.

Marion - 1. Bach, 17. Andrea Ertz, 20:10; 19. Hallie Kephart, 20:13; 39. Avery Manderscheid, 21:08; 50. Mia Laube, 21:28.

Regina - 10. Blondin, 38. Mary Graff, 21:04; 48. Elizabeth Klesner, 21:21; 54. Sara Burlage, 21:35; 60. Natalie Shank, 21:41.

Boys Results

Teams - 1. Monticello 69, 2. Mount Pleasant 91, 3. Mid-Prairie 113, 4. Vinton-Shellsburg 117, 5. Marion 154, 6. Iowa City Regina 161, 7. Williamsburg 196, 8. Benton Community 250, 9. Cascade 259, 10. Tipton 272, 11. Solon 293, 12. Starmont 297, 13. South Winneshiek 318, 14. Bellevue Marquette 343, 15. Edgewood-Colesburg 387, 16. North-Linn 411, 17. Independence 488, 18. Postville 543, 19. Maquoketa Valley 578, 20. Alburnett 591.

Individuals - 1. Logan Murray (MtP), 16:08; 2. Matt Manternach (Monti), 16:15; 3. Jeremy Fopma (Marion), 16:27; 4. Jordan Loes (Monti), 16:44; 5. Peyton Miller (Mid-P), 16:57; 6. Emilio Tovar (ICR), 17:02; 7. Myles Bach (Marion), 17:03; 8. Eli Miller (BC), 17:03; 9. Cole Tharp (V-Sh), 17:06; 10. Adam Bodenham (MtP), 17:08.

Marion - 3. Fopma, 7. Bach, 46. Nick Ward, 17:59; 47. Salem Snoop, 17:59; 51. Jacob Manderscheid, 18:03.

Regina - 6. Tovar, 16. Nate Green, 17:16; 18. Nathan Meyer, 17:19; 58. Nick Schoeblen, 18:11; 63. Oliver Emery, 18:25.

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