The Mount Vernon-Lisbon cross country crew made it all the way to state in Fort Dodge, ending the season on a successful, if somewhat bittersweet, note.
The girls team placed fourth, while the boys came in ninth.
“It was kind of a bittersweet ending this weekend,” said coach Kory Swart.
The coach said the girls team had hoped to finish in the top three, though he noted senior Lourdes Mason placed third individually “to cap off a stellar season.”
Freshman Edith Dawson “had a huge personal record by over a minute,” Swart said, while “Hailey Bock ran a great race to help keep us in contention.”
Emrie Johnson, Kiersten Swart, and Gabi Moehlman “all had solid performances as well,” said the coach.
“Unfortunately, Laura Swart injured her foot at the district meet in Washington, and we just couldn’t get her healthy before state,” Swart said. “She gave it her best shot, but it was just too painful during the race. I felt bad for her and the team, as they really wanted to make the deck (top three) this year.
“But I’m just super proud of everything that Laura has accomplished over the last four years. She’s set such a great example for us during her career, and we’re going to be better because of it,” said Swart.
For the boys, Grady Olberding again was the top performer for the Mustangs, placing 14th and finishing off “an incredible sophomore year.”
“He made a huge leap this year, and really propelled our team forward. Klayten Perreault, Wes Sadler, and Dawson Scheil had nice races and gained valuable experience that will help them for next year. Seamus O’Connor continued his improvement throughout the year as our fifth runner. Zach Fall and Junior Krob provided great leadership all year long to help us finish as a top 10 team in the state. They have meant so much to our program,” Swart said.
“We are going to miss our seniors dearly. They have really raised the bar for future teams. It’s always difficult when it’s over, but we’re just so incredibly thankful for everything that we got to experience together,” said Swart.
“It’s always a special season when both teams finish their season in Fort Dodge.”