Mount Vernon-Lisbon wins Wamac boys' cross country title for third year in a row

SOLON — The Mount Vernon-Lisbon boys' cross country team received a bit of wake-up call two weeks ago at the Muscatine Invitational.

The Sept. 27 runner-up team finish to fellow Class 3A school Mount Pleasant may turn out to be a pivotal moment for the defending Class 3A state champions.

'We needed a little eye-opener,' Coach Kory Swart said after his Mustangs won the Wamac Conference title for the third year in a row Thursday at Solon Nature and Recreation Center. 'And Mount Pleasant got us at Muscatine. That provided us a little spark. Hopefully it will carry on through to the next couple of meets, actually. The guys came back strong. … We want the momentum going our way.'

The Mustangs finished with 35 points and placed five runners in the top 11, led by senior Jack Young (16:35) and junior Thatcher Krob (16:39), who finished third and fourth, respectively. Western Dubuque (71) was runner-up.

Third-place Marion was paced by junior Myles Bach, who led the first mile by five seconds before going back and forth with teammate Jeremy Fopma, who placed runner-up for the second year in a row after falling a second short of Bach's 15:36.

'At the end it was just who had more,' Bach said. 'Just not wanting to lose. That's what it's all about at the end. Who wants to win more, and I wanted it more.'

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon girls' team made it a clean sweep for the Mustangs as they overcame the absence of two of their top-six runners – Shae Banwart and Lydia Frey – who sat out with minor ailments.

Sophomore Quinnie Rodman and freshman Caroline See filled in admirably, while seniors Maggie Davis, Faith Anton and Hayley Corkin all joined freshman Aubrey Frey in the top 10.

'They run like a team,' Mount Vernon-Lisbon girls' coach Sue Diebner said. 'That's it. The beauty of them is they run like a team and they all are trying to help each other.'

Host Solon was second (99 points). Center Point-Urbana freshman Adrianna Katcher won the girls' individual title in 18:17.

WAMAC CONFERENCE MEET

At Solon

BOYS' RESULTS

Teams —

1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 35, 2. Western Dubuque 71, 3. Marion 82, 4. Clear Creek-Amana 122, 5. Williamsburg 168, 6. Vinton-Shellsburg 183, 7. Benton Community 209, 8. Central DeWitt 211, 9. Center Point-Urbana 246, 10. Anamosa 247, 11. Independence 314, 12. Solon 316, 13. West Delaware 370, 14. South Tama County 370, 15. Dyersville Beckman 464, 16. Maquoketa 470

Top 5 Individuals — 1. Myles Bach (Mar.), 15:36; 2. Jeremy Fopma (Mar.), 15:37; 3. Jack Young (MVL), 16:35; 4. Thatcher Krob (MVL), 16:39; 5. Joe Freiburger (W DBQ), 16:42.

GIRLS' RESULTS

Teams —

1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 56, 2. Solon 99, 3. Benton Community 116, 4. Marion 125, 5. Williamsburg 139, 6. Center Point-Urbana 147, 7. Anamosa 177, 8. South Tama County 199, 9. Central DeWitt 215, 10. Vinton-Shellsburg 219, 11. Western Dubuque 304, 12. Independence 326, 13. West Delaware 353, 14. Clear Creek-Amana 393, 15. Dyersville Beckman 429, 16. Maquoketa 437

Top 5 Individuals — 1. Adrianna Katcher (CPU), 18:17; 2. Sophia Gilbert (BC), 18:48; 3. Emma Ducan (A), 19:59; 4. Julia Campbell (CD), 20:03; 5. Hallie Kephart (Mar.), 20:09

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