Xavier runners ready for state

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Xavier boys' varsity cross country team and girls' senior team captain Jenny Dickes have qualified to run at the state competition.

The boys' and girls' teams ran at the state qualifying meet on Oct. 22 at Waterworks Park in Fairfield.

The boys' team had two Top 10 finishers in senior captains Steven Culpepper and Jonathan Francois. Culpepper placed fourth with a time of 16:19 and Francois finished sixth in 16:32.

'It was very exciting when we heard our team made it to state and even more exciting when we learned we beat Clear Creek Amana by one point,” Culpepper said. 'We knew we were going to need all seven runners, but I don't think any of us would have guessed that it would come down to our sixth and seventh runners being able to get in front of Clear Creek Amana's fifth man so the CCA runner would have a higher score.”

The team's top five runners scored a collective 81 points, giving them a third place team finish.

Dickes also qualified for state individually by placing fifth with a time of 19:04 in the girls' five-kilometer race. The team placed fourth overall, missing the trip to state by 48 points.

'The season went well and our team was constantly striving to get better,” Dickes said. 'I'm looking forward to state. It's going to be a challenge, but also a lot of fun.”

Dickes is ranked 14th in Class 3A.

The boys' team enters the state competition with a ranking of ninth in Class 3A, while also carrying along very high expectations.

'We are looking forward to a hopeful top seven finish at the state meet,” Culpepper said. 'Jonathan and I are both working hard to try and achieve Top 10 finishes individually.”

The state meet will be held Saturday in Fort Dodge.