14:50! Ford Washburn resets the Seminole Valley course record at the MVC Super meet

CEDAR RAPIDS — What makes this a fast course?

“It’s the flattest one I’ve been on, for sure,” Iowa City High’s Ford Washburn said.

What else makes this a fast course?

Fast kids.

In a season of hand-offs with the Seminole Valley Park cross country course record, Washburn became the latest to take the proverbial baton. And he did it in handily Thursday at the Mississippi Valley Conference “Super” meet.

The senior ace turned the expected duel (with Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Miles Wilson) into a solo act in the final mile, completing the 5,000-meter trek in 14 minutes, 50 seconds, tying his personal best.

“It’s awesome. I’m happy,” said Washburn, who also ran 14:50 last week at Iowa City.

“I’m glad I’m still getting faster. I’m so grateful for everybody that has helped me get here.”

Washburn held a slight lead at a mile, stretched it to 8 seconds over Wilson by the 2-mile mark and continued to extend it from there.

Prior to this season, the course record was 15:17. Marion’s Jedidiah Osgood (15:02) and Wilson (15:07) bettered that two weeks ago, then Washburn shaved 12 more seconds off of it Thursday.

“I could tell (Washburn) was feeling good,” Wilson said. “He was outright faster than me today. He got a gap on me, and I was in no-man’s land.”

Washburn’s effort led Class 4A fourth-ranked City High to its second straight MVC boys’ team title. The Little Hawks, who won it by a single point last year at Waterloo, had four runners in the top 12, tallied 51 points and won by 26 over runner-up Cedar Falls.

Kennedy (90), Dubuque Hempstead (106) and Cedar Rapids Prairie (134) rounded out the top five.

“We did what we wanted to do, come here and win,” Washburn said. “Our season didn’t start so hot for some of the guys. This was definitely a good sign.”

Truman Thompson, Ammon Smith and Noah Carey ran fifth, 11th and 12th for City High.

Western Dubuque’s Isaiah Hammerand (15:33) and Iowa City West’s Moustafa Tiea (15:34) were third and fourth.

Top-ranked and the defending 4A state champion, Hempstead was the class of the girls’ competition.

Julia Gehl and Keelee Leitzen both broke the former course record by 5 seconds, finishing together in 18:03 and highlighting a top-four Mustangs monopoly.

Brooke O’Brien and Evie Henneberry were third and fourth, and Hempstead scored a skinny 24 points. Dubuque Senior was second with 57, followed by Cedar Falls (125), Linn-Mar (126) and Prairie (127).

Ani Wedemeyer of Iowa City High was the top area finisher, at sixth. Linn-Mar’s Rachel Adamson was seventh.

“Actually, I don’t like the flat courses at much,” said Wedemeyer, a sophomore who won a pair of state track titles last spring. “We practice on hills a lot, so I have an advantage on hills.

“I was hoping to run with Keelee and Julia, but I was never with them. After that, I tried to get a song in my head or a mantra in my mind.”

Girls results

Teams — 1. Dubuque Hempstead 24, 2. Dubuque Senior 57, 3. Cedar Falls 125, 4. Linn-Mar 126, 5. C.R. Prairie 127, 6. Iowa City High 163, 7. Iowa City West 167, 8. Iowa City Liberty 260, 9. C.R. Kennedy 278, 10. C.R. Xavier 288, 11. C.R. Washington 291, 12. Dubuque Wahlert 310, 13. Western Dubuque 327, 14. C.R. Jefferson 426.

Individuals — 1. Julia Gehl (DH), 18:03 (course record); 2. Keelee Leitzen (DH), 18:03; 3. Brooke O’Brien (DH), 18:24; 4. Evie Henneberry (DH), 18:45; 5. Leah Klapatauskas (DS), 18:52; 6. Ani Wedemeyer (ICH), 18:57; 7. Rachel Adamson (LM), 19:03; 8. Zoe Zylstra (CF), 19:06; 9. Georgia Harms (DS), 19:20; 10. Keirra Hess (CRP), 19:34; 11. Claire Hoyer (DS), 19:35; 12. Alyssa Klein (WDbq), 19:36; 13. Emily Gorton (DS), 19:37; 14. Natalie Schlichte (DH), 19:39; 15. Makenna Hetrick (CRW), 19:40.

Boys results

Teams — 1. Iowa City High 51, 2. Cedar Falls 77, 3. C.R. Kennedy 90, 4. Dubuque Hempstead 106, 5. C.R. Prairie 134, 6. Iowa City West 156, 7. Western Dubuque 174, 8. Linn-Mar 207, 9. Iowa City Liberty 230, 10. Dubuque Senior 290, 11. Waterloo West 301, 12. Dubuque Wahlert 350, 13. C.R. Washington 390, 14. C.R. Jefferson 417, 15. C.R. Xavier 437.

Individuals — 1. Ford Washburn (ICH), 14:50 (course record); 2. Miles Wilson (CRK), 15:20; 3. Isaiah Hammerand (WDbq), 15:33; 4. Moustafa Tiea (ICW), 15:34; 5. Truman Thompson (ICH), 15:35; 6. John Maloney (DH), 15:37; 7. Jaden Merrick (CF), 15:47; 8. Luke Hartman (CF), 15:51; 9. Caleb Kass (DH), 15:53; 10. Aidan Decker (ICL), 15:55; 11. Ammon Smith (ICH), 15:55; 12. Noah Carey (ICH), 15:56; 13. Seth Cheney (ICW), 15:59; 14. Henry McMahan (CRK), 16:01; 15. Nick Lee (CRP), 16:03.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com