In her final act at Calamus-Wheatland, Noelle Steines wins her 3rd state cross country championship

FORT DODGE — Noelle Steines spent her final day as a Calamus-Wheatland student 200 miles away from her school.

Which was how she preferred.

“I wasn’t at school today; it wasn’t taking up mental space for me,” she said. “That’s why I ran so well today.”

Steines claimed her third consecutive Class 1A girls’ championship at the state cross country meet Friday afternoon at Lakeside Golf Course.

She broke away from North Linn’s Meghan Wheatley in the final mile and won it in 18 minutes, 22 seconds. Wheatley, who came to Fort Dodge undefeated this season, was second in 18:35.

“(Steines) took off and got away from me,” Wheatley said. “I didn’t go after her. I let her go. I accepted defeat, which I hadn’t done before.”

Back to Steines. Rumors had swirled through Eastern Iowa running circles for the better part of a month that she would be transferring to Tipton.

The junior confirmed Friday that she will open-enroll at Tipton, starting Monday. She will have to sit out of varsity activities for 90 days, but will be eligible sometime during track season.

“I love driving,” said Steines, who will be making a 26-mile trip twice a day. “I’ll be cranking up the music.”

Steines was the main cog in Calamus-Wheatland’s state track championship last spring.

“I got to know the Tipton girls at (cross country) meets, they would warm up with me, they’ve become like my best friends,” she said.

So if Steines wins a fourth state cross country title in 2024, it will be as a 2A competitor.

Wheatley, a senior, had beaten Steines in convincing fashion at the Tri-Rivers Conference and regional meets.

“It wasn’t the ending I wanted, but I had a lot of success this season,” Wheatley said. “It wouldn’t have been possible without my teammates and coaches.”

Led by a 5-6 finish from Madelyn Grothus and Katelyn Brandhorst, Madrid won the girls’ team title with 97 points. South Winneshiek was second with 123 points; Dyersville Beckman (125) was third.

Cascade’s Hallie Kelchen finished seventh; Beckman’s Maria Kruse was 10th.

Boys: Maquoketa Valley’s Matthew Schaul earns a top-10 finish

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Lake Mills was the boys’ champion with 111 points. Guthrie Center ACGC (137) and Woodbine (147) were second and third.

Woodbine senior Landon Bengden was the 1A champion for the second consecutive year, finishing in 15:55. Emerson Vokes of Grundy Center was the runner-up in 16:02.

Matthew Schaul of Maquoketa Valley and Gage Heyne of English Valleys were seventh and ninth.

At 16:17, Schaul was a minute and a half faster than last year.

“My mentality was that I wanted it more than everybody else,” he said. “I felt pretty solid. I knew I had to get out fast before the course gets tight.”

Last year’s boys champion, Iowa City Regina was sixth Friday. The Regals were eighth in the girls’ team competition.

Class 1A Iowa high school state cross country

At Fort Dodge (Lakeside Golf Course)

Girls Results

TEAMS

1. Madrid 97, 2. South Winneshiek 123, 3. Dyersville Beckman 125, 4. Earlham 136, 5. Guthrie Center ACGC 185, 6. Pekin 199, 7. Fort Dodge St. Edmond 205, 8. Iowa City Regina 211, 9. Martensdale-St. Marys 217, 10. North Linn 230, 11. Woodbine 233, 12. Treynor 240, 13. Hinton 250, 14. Grundy Center 282, 15. Collins-Maxwell 294, 16. Avoca AHSTW 341.

INDIVIDUALS

1. Noelle Steines (Calamus-Wheatland), 18:22; 2. Meghan Wheatley (North Linn), 18:35; 3. Alyssa Richman (Manson-NW Webster), 18:53; 4. Nora Peterson (Alta-Aurelia), 19:01; 5. Madelyn Grothus (Madrid), 19:06; 6. Katelyn Brandhorst (Madrid), 19:11; 7. Hallie Kelchen (Cascade), 19:18; 8. Chloe Judisch (South Central Calhoun), 19:23; 9. Kylie Rochholz (Panorama), 19:24; 10. Maria Kruse (Beckman), 19:33; 11. Ava Campbell (ACGC), 19:33; 12. Karson Oberender (Martensdale-SM), 19:40; 13. Marie Yoder (Hillcrest Academy), 19:41; 14. Taryn Burbridge (Maquoketa Valley), 19:42; 15. Tyra Schupbach (West Bend-Mallard), 19:44; 16. Olivia Spurling (Earlham), 19:49; 17. Chloe Glosser (Pekin), 19:54; 18. Addison Voelker (North Butler), 19:56; 19. Claire Zweibohmer (Riceville), 20:02; 20. Lauren Hillesland (North Iowa), 20:03.

Boys Results

TEAMS

1. Lake Mills 111, 2. Guthrie Center ACGC 137, 3. Woodbine 147, 4. Grundy Center 153, 5. Danville 176, 6. Iowa City Regina 179, 7. Earlham 186, 8. Madrid 220, 9. Ankeny Christian 232, 10. Pekin 233, 11. Council Bluffs St. Albert 242, 12. Maquoketa Valley 244, 13. Ogden 255, 14. Dyersville Beckman 312, 15. Fort Dodge St. Edmond 329, 16. Sibley-Ocheyedan 337.

INDIVIDUALS

1. Landon Bengden (Woodbine), 15:55; 2. Emerson Vokes (Grundy Center), 16:02; 3. Aidan Shannon (Wapsie Valley), 16:09; 4. Andrew Mahaffey (ACGC), 16:10; 5. Lincoln Bainbridge (Van Buren County), 16:13; 6. Justin Rygh (Lake Mills), 16:14; 7. Matthew Schaul (Maquoketa Valley), 16:16; 8. Clay Warson (Madrid), 16:25; 9. Gage Heyne (English Valleys), 16:25; 10. Brady McWhirter (Pekin), 16:26; 11. Ethan Loutzenheiser (Madrid), 16:27; 12. Gavin Grunhovd (North Iowa), 16:30; 13. Ben Myers (Sibley-Ocheyedan), 16:31; 14. Anthony Valles (St. Edmond), 16:35; 15. Carson Van Sickle (Ogden), 16:36; 16. Payton Griebel (Bellevue), 16:42; 17. Gunner Wagner (Woodbine), 16:42; 18. Daniel Schoening (Ankeny Christian), 16:50; 19. Kohlby Newsom (Winfield-Mount Union), 16:54; 20. Jackson Shacklett (Danville), 16:55.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com