Marion’s Addison Dabroski picks cross country, and is duly rewarded

SOLON — Addison Dabroski entered the summer as a dual-sport athlete.

“I went to the (preseason) volleyball meeting, and I went to the cross country meeting too,” she said. “I had no idea what I wanted to do.”

In the end, she played to her strengths. That included her size, which lends itself more toward distance running.

Wednesday was proof that she made the right call.

A sophomore at Marion High School, Dabroski surged from behind in the final half-mile (right in her wheelhouse) to capture the girls’ individual championship of Wednesday’s Class 3A state-qualifying meet at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area.

“With what looked like 800 (meters) left, I just felt like, ‘I gotta get going,’” Dabroski said. “This is where I’m supposed to be strong. All of a sudden, (leader Lucy Murphy of Dubuque Wahlert) started getting closer to me.”

Dabroski finished in 19:18, five seconds ahead of Murphy.

Last fall, Dabroski — who stands 5 feet, 4 1/2 inches tall — was playing volleyball (“I didn’t like the idea of running at all,” she said). But as a 400- and 800-meter specialist, she enjoyed a strong freshman season on the track, and began to consider cross country this fall.

After some summer runs, she said, “I was determined to stick with it.”

Mount Vernon-Lisbon wins both team titles

Mount Vernon-Lisbon and Solon finished 1-2 in both team divisions. The Mustangs posted a 53-65 margin in the girls competition; it was 57-70 for the boys.

The top three teams and top 15 individuals advance to the state meet next weekend at Lakeside Golf Course, Fort Dodge. Marion’s girls and DeWitt Central’s boys earned the respective third bids.

“We wanted to make sure we made it,” said Mount Vernon-Lisbon’s Grady Olberding, the boys’ runner-up. “Our coaches tell us that our best is yet to come, we’ve just got to believe it, do our job today and celebrate at the end.”

Olberding was second to Western Dubuque’s Quentin Nauman, who — like Dabroski — won it with a late surge, finishing in 15:57.

“I kept my eyes up. I thought maybe I could reel (Olberding) in,” Nauman said. “I kept my arms going and driving forward.”

Olberding was clocked in 16:07.

Nauman opened some eyes at the state track meet last spring as a freshman. Since then, he has grown 2 inches and gained 10 pounds.

“Summer workouts, I was able to get in and lift with the football guys,” he said. “You know if you’re working out with them, you’re going to work hard.”

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Brick Kabela of Solon (16:10), Dawson Scheil of Mount Vernon-Lisbon (16:26) and Cooper Cook of Marion (16:35) rounded out the boys’ top five.

Dabroski and Murphy were followed in the girls’ race by Grace Estling of Center Point-Urbana (19:30), Sydney Dee of Solon (19:32) and Kiersten Swart of MVL (19:43).

Class 3A state-qualifying cross country meet

At Solon

Girls results

TEAMS (Top 3 advance)

1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 53, 2 Solon 65, 3. Marion 94, 4. Center Point-Urbana 118, 5. Western Dubuque 118, 6. Dubuque Wahlert 147, 7. Davenport Assumption 179, 8. C.R. Xavier 195, 9. Benton Community 229, 10. Grinnell 263, 11. DeWitt Central 280.

INDIVIDUALS (Top 15 advance)

1. Addison Dabroski (Marion), 19:18; 2. Lucy Murphy (DbqW), 19:23; 3. Grace Estling (CPU), 19:30; 4. Sydney Dee (Solon), 19:32; 5. Kiersten Swart (MVL), 19:43; 6. Emma Wilkerson (CPU), 19:44; 7. Evelyn Moeller (MVL), 19:52; 8. Mia Deegan (CRX), 19:52; 9. Emrie Johnson (MVL), 19:55; 10. Anna Quillin (Solon), 19:57; 11. Eastin Whisner (MVL), 19:58; 12. Jaida Lyons (BC), 19:58; 13. Falyn Svalstad (Solon), 20:07; 14. Izzy Hardin (Maq), 20:12; 15. Lorilei Smith (WDbq), 20:21.

Boys results

TEAMS (Top 3 advance)

Teams — 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 57, 2. Solon 70, 3. DeWitt Central 81, 4. Grinnell 116, 5. Marion 125, 6. Center Point-Urbana 151, 7. Western Dubuque 190, 8. Dubuque Wahlert 242, 9. C.R. Xavier 244, 10. Benton Community 259, 11. Davenport Assumption 277, 12. Maquoketa 311, 13. Independence 355.

INDIVIDUALS (Top 15 advance)

1. Quentin Nauman (WDbq), 15:57; 2. Grady Olberding (MVL), 16:07; 3. Brick Kabela (Solon), 16:10; 4. Dawson Scheil (MVL), 16:26; 5. Cooper Cook (Marion), 16:35; 6. Kyle Olson (DeWC), 16:39; 7. Liam Crites (Grin), 16:39; 8. Jayden Brookins (DbqW), 16:42; 9. Caleb Olson (DeWC), 16:51; 10. Jordan Fischer (Marion), 16:52; 11. Bennett Kautz (Marion), 16:53; 12. Michael Yeomans (Solon), 16:55; 13. Seamus O’Connor (MVL), 16:56; 14. Cadel Conner (Grin), 16:56; 15. Spencer Michels (Solon), 16:58.

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