Izer edged at the wire

FORT DODGE - Ryan Izer was spent.

'I gave everything I could,” he said, sprawled on the ground beyond the finish line. 'I can't get up. I've got nothing left.

'He passed me. I tried. That's how it goes.”

Peyton Twedt of West Fork outkicked Izer - a senior from Turkey Valley - in the closest race of the day at the state cross country meet Saturday afternoon at Lakeside Golf Course, winning the Class 1A boys' title.

Twedt was clocked in 16 minutes, 24.0 seconds, Izer in 16:24.8.

That close. But no regrets.

'I don't think I could have done anything more,” Izer said. 'I guess I let him have too much of a gap earlier in the race, and I had to go harder to catch up.”

Izer's effort led a strong day for Turkey Valley individuals. Shelby Rita Riecks was third in the girls' race.

Just being able to compete was a win for Riecks, a sophomore. She was victimized by a stress fracture as an eighth-grader, a knee injury last year.

'It feels awesome to be able to get out and compete,” she said. 'Being injured, that sucks. It's nice to get back on the course.”

History was made in the 1A girls' race, as Griswold's Rebekah Topham became the first four-time winner, in any class. Topham came on strong after a controlled start to win in 14:32, a victory margin of 26 seconds.

Pocahontas Area dethroned defending champion Pekin, 79-98, for the girls' title. Jasmine Staebler of Clayton Ridge was fifth.

Bellevue won the boys' title with 80 points, nosing out West Fork (90) and Denver (95). Highland's Evan Mahler and Keiffer Sexton were fourth and eighth, respectively.

STATE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Saturday, at Lakeside Golf Course, Fort Dodge

CLASS 1A GIRLS

Teams - 1. Pocahontas Area 79, 2. Pekin 98, 3. Griswold 133, 4. West Marshall 147, 5. South Winneshiek 156, 6. Elkader Central 163, 7. Emmetsburg 186, 8. Panorama 202, 9. Fort Dodge St. Edmond 213, 10. North Linn 224, 11. Starmont 245, 12. Mason City Newman 276, 13. Durant 301, 14. Underwood 337, 15. Colfax-Mingo 337.

Individuals - 1. Rebekah Topham (Griswold), 14:32; 2. Gwynne Wright (Pekin), 14:58; 3. Shelby Rita Reicks (Turkey Valley), 15:08; 4. Alexis Cook (Missouri Valley), 15:15; 5. Jasmine Staebler (Clayton Ridge), 15:21; 6. Lauren Block (Tripoli), 15:30; 7. Camryn Reeg (Bellevue), 15:35; 8. Taylor Lock (Pekin), 15:36; 9. Payton Sporrer (IKM-Manning), 15:58; 10. Grace Meyer (Pocahontas), 15:41; 11. Talia Rowe (West Fork), 15:44; 12. Shea Dahlstom (Pekin), 15:48; 13. Elle Ruffridge (Pocahontas), 15:49; 14. Felicity Taylor (South Winn), 15:49; 15. Josie Kriener (South Winn), 15:51.

CLASS 1A BOYS

Teams - 1. Bellevue 80, 2. West Fork 92, 3. Denver 95, 4. Nodaway Valley 103, 5. Fort Dodge St. Edmond 130, 6. Pekin 166, 7. Alta-Aurelia 177, 8. Council Bluffs St. Albert 211, 9. Hudson 231, 10. Tri-Center 246, 11. Elkader Cenral 265, 12. Bellevue Marquette 285, 13. Emmetsburg 297, 14. Wapello 342, 15. West Marshall 367.

Individuals - 1. Peyton Twedt (West Fork), 16:24; 2. Ryan Izer (Turkey Valley), 16:24; 3. Andrew Meyer (Bellevue), 16:35; 4. Evan Mahler (Highland), 16:41; 5. Collin McFadden (Don Bosco), 16:42; 6. Riley Bauer (North Union) 16:44; 7. Shane Breheny (Nodaway Valley), 16:54; 8. Keiffer Sexton (Highland), 16:55; 9. Trey Thompson (Ogden), 16:55; 10. Jacob Hansen (West Fork), 16:56; 11. Austin Fariss (Pekin), 17:03; 12. Ryan Millikin (Pekin), 17:04; 13. Andrew Stumbo (Ogden), 17:09; 14. Andy Taverna (Sibley-Ocheyedan), 17:09; 15. Andrew Segalla (Bellevue), 17:12.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com