The Mount Vernon-Lisbon varsity cross country squad qualified for state Wed. Oct. 20, in a night head coach Kory Swart won’t be forgetting any time soon.
“It was an unbelievable night,” he said, after the meet in Solon.
The boys team ended up placing third overall while the girls came in second.
“I’m just so happy for everyone that both teams were able to qualify. We knew it was going to be close on both sides and it took everyone doing their part to get the job done. The kids have worked extremely hard this year, and it paid off when it mattered the most,” said Swart.
The girls team last qualified for the state meet in 2016. The girls have qualified 10 times since 1998. The boys have qualified 21 of the last 23 years for the state meet.
Anna Hoffman had the day’s highest placing for the MV-L team with a new personal record time, with Laura Swart close behind in fifth place.
“Emrie Johnson finished in the top 15, which is a great accomplishment for a freshman,” Swart said.
“Abbie Moss PR’d as well, breaking 21 minutes for the first time, and Nadia Telecky closed it out for us with a season best for her. I couldn’t be more proud of what the girls have been able to accomplish this season,” said the coach.
On the boys side, Swart noted the team featured runners in places 18-22 with a 16 second spread to give them a one-point advantage over fourth-place Washington. It made all the difference as only the top three teams advanced.
“Even our sixth (Carter Hall) and seventh (Klayten Perreault) runners were able to displace the fourth and fifth runners of Washington to help earn the state bid,” Swart said. “It was just a total team effort. We talked all week about how we had to keep our pack air tight if we wanted a return trip to Fort Dodge, and they did just that.
“That was a night that we’ll be talking about for a long time. We just feel extremely fortunate and thankful that we get the opportunity to run at state. I know that the kids will give it their best shot next week,” he said.
State cross country will take place Friday, Oct. 29 in Fort Dodge.
MV-L cross country teams qualifies for state
Trent Bowman
October 28, 2021