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Hero for a day: Bianka Ronnebaum’s travel log helps send Maquoketa Valley girls to state cross country
First-year runner flies back from FFA convention in Indianapolis; Springville boys advance to state for the first time
Oct. 24, 2024 7:10 pm, Updated: Oct. 24, 2024 8:49 pm
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TROY MILLS — There was jubilation and disappointment, of course. There always is at a high-stakes competition like this.
There was an unlikely weather delay. And in the case of the Springville boys, there was history.
But if you wanted a hero from Thursday’s Class 1A state-qualiying cross country meet, look no further than Maquoketa Valley’s Bianka Ronnebaum.
A senior in her first year out for the sport, Ronnebaum showed an uncommon level of commitment and sacrifice.
She woke up Thursday morning in Indianapolis, at the national FFA convention; she had taken part in judging and examination for the dairy cattle evaluation and management program the previous day.
But she was committed to her sports team, too, so ...
“As soon as I found out what this scenario might be, we made some plans,” Ronnebaum said.
Ronnebaum’s FFA advisor drove her to the Indianapolis airport. Ronnebaum flew to Chicago, then to Cedar Rapids.
There, she climbed into a car and took the hour-long drive to the North Linn Community Schools campus, where she arrived at the same time as the Maquoketa Valley bus.
The Wildcats won the team title, with 49 points, edging South Winneshiek (51) and Cascade (56).
“A huge upset,” said Maquoketa Valley’s Audra Burbridge, who finished third. “It was go fast or go home.”
Two teams advance to the state meet next Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course, Fort Dodge.
Ronnebaum was Maquoketa Valley’s fifth runner, in 30th place. That might not sound spectacular, but had she not made it back, the Wildcats would have finished third and not qualified.
“I just wanted to be with my team for this,” she said.
Oh, and if the FFA placed high enough, Ronnebaum was making arrangements to drive back to Indianapolis on Friday.
Starmont’s Lauren Krogmann was the individual girls’ champion, running in 19:23. Cascade’s Hallie Kelchen was second, Burbridge third.
“I took the first mile too fast, and my legs paid for it,” Krogmann said. “That last mile, I told myself to go hard until I saw the trees, then I could slow down.”
She lied.
“I got to the trees and I said, ‘No, I’ve got to speed up. I like the track at the end of the race.”
The meet featured a delay of more than an hour between the girls race and the boys competition due to lightning.
“We prepared the best we could,” said individual boys champion Matthew Schaul of Maquoketa Valley, whose effort of 16:38 beat the field by 15 seconds. “We went into the gym (during the delay) and laid down. Then we came back out and got re-prepared.”
Springville (73 points) and Columbus Community (81) were the team qualifiers. The Orioles are state-bound as a team for the first time.
“To be able to do this, it shows all the work we’ve put in,” said Jack Stamp, who led the Orioles with an eighth-place finish. “We did this for all of the guys who were previously part of the program and didn’t make it to state.
“This team loves to have fun. We joke around a lot at practice and keep it pretty loose.”
North Linn’s Levi Benesh finished third.
Class 1A state cross country qualifier at Troy Mills: Girls results
TEAMS (top 2 qualify)
1. Maquoketa Valley 49, 2. South Winneshiek 51, 3. Cascade 56, 4. East Buchanan 127, 5. Columbus Community 136, 6. Elkader Central 151, 7. Waterloo Christian 174, 8. Clayton Ridge 192.
INDIVIDUAL STATE QUALIFIERS
1. Lauren Krogmann (Starmont), 19:23; 2. Hallie Kelchen (Cascade), 19:31; 3. Audra Burbridge (Maq Valley), 19:36; 4. Abbi Waskow (Dunkerton), 5. Iris Garza (Columbus Comm.) 20:23; 6. Addison Merritt (Springville), 20:25; 7. Taryn Burbridge (Maq Valley), 20:27; 8. Aaliyah Causey (Columbus Comm.), 20:39; 9. Ava Franzen (South Winn), 20:49; 10. Whitney Brady (East Buchanan), 20:55.
Class 1A state cross country qualifier at Troy Mills: Boys results
TEAMS (top 2 qualify)
1. Springville 73, 2. Columbus Community 81, 3. Maquoketa Valley 101, 4. Elkader Central 122, 5. South Winneshiek 122, 6. Cascade 165, 7. Waterloo Columbus 166, 8. Lansing Kee 193, 9. Clayton Ridge 203, 10. Valley Lutheran 248, 11. Waterloo Christian 261, 12. Edgewood-Colesburg 318, 13. East Buchanan 366.
INDIVIDUAL STATE QUALIFIERS
1. Matthew Schaul (Maq Valley), 16:38; 2. Jace Matern (Wat Columbus), 16:53; 3. Levi Benesh (North Linn), 16:57; 4. Ty Muniz (Columbus Comm), 17:02; 5. Justin Wagner (Kee), 17:16; 6. Hugh Conway (South Winn), 17:22; 7. Henry Peterson (Dunkerton), 17:32; 8. Jack Stamp (Springville), 17:38; 9. Gavin Holst (Elk Central), 17:47; 10. Kenyon Baker (Maq Valley), 17:50.
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com
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