Linn-Mar Boys Cross Country

Linn-Mar claims 4A state title

FORT DODGE - Daniel Murphy has lived with a nightmare the past year after collapsing at the state cross country meet in 2013 and needing medical attention.

Now he's living a dream.

Murphy and the Linn-Mar Lions raced to the first state title in school history Saturday when they captured top honors at the Class 4A meet in Fort Dodge.

The Lions nudged Cedar Rapids Prairie, 85-98, in the team standings. Prairie won the state title last year, making it back-to-back crowns for Metro schools.

Murphy finished dead-last in 2013 after he collapsed several times and staggered to the finish line, due to dehydration and a possible virus. Linn-Mar might have challenged Prairie for the state title last year if Murphy had been in top form.

"I felt like I let the team down," he said Saturday.

That's all in the past now. Linn-Mar came home with the top prize this time thanks to Daniel Murphy, Michael Mather, Ryan Murphy, Bryan Fogerty, Jay Halverson and the entire program of coaches, runners, trainers and managers.

"It's amazing," said Murphy, who finished sixth. "That's all you can say. Amazing."

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VanDraska, Lions win titles in Marshalltown

MARSHALLTOWN - The Linn-Mar Lions and Prairie Hawks have battled all season to see who has the best boys cross country team in Eastern Iowa.

They'll settle things at the Class 4A state meet in Fort Dodge Nov. 1.

Linn-Mar captured top honors Thursday with an impressive performance at the district meet in Marshalltown, but Prairie placed second and also earned a trip to state.

It was the fifth time the two powers have clashed in a meet this year. Linn-Mar leads the series, 3-2, but it's not over yet.

Prairie is the defending state champion and boasts Tysen VanDraska, who won the individual title Thursday at Marshalltown Community College.

"They're a great team and they're always pushing us," said VanDraska. "I don't want to say we're rivals. We're buds with them. We like the right kind of competition."

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Murphy, Mather lead Lions to MVC title

CEDAR FALLS - Daniel Murphy and Michael Mather of Linn-Mar finished in nearly a dead heat Thursday to help the Lions capture the Valley Division cross country title at Birdsall Park in Cedar Falls.

Murphy and Mather were both timed in 16 minutes, 10 seconds in a photo finish, but Murphy was declared the winner.

Ryan Murphy placed fourth for Linn-Mar as the Lions edged Cedar Falls for the title, 37-39.

Linn-Mar junior Amber Decker, who won the title at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet last week, had to settle for third place in the Valley Division race behind Bailey Nock and Emmie Skopec of Iowa City West.

Iowa City West topped Linn-Mar for the girls team championship, 19-37.

Hannah Fusselman of Kennedy finished 10th.

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Warriors’ Eck fourth at Dubuque meet

DUBUQUE – Cedar Rapids Washington junior Sam Eck was the top Metro finisher Thursday at the Eastern Iowa Classic, taking fourth in a time of 16:28.3.

Eck’s finish helped the Warriors to a third-place team finish in the boys division with 84 points. Individual champion Joe Meehan (16:09.02) led Dubuque Hempstead to the team title with 31 points. Iowa City High was second with 72. Among other Metro teams Kennedy was fifth, Linn-Mar seventh and Xavier ended up 10th.

Xavier’s Jenny Dickes was the top girls Metro finisher, taking sixth in 15:31.3. Iowa City High’s Mary Arch won in 14:54.50, leading the Little Hawks to the team title with 51 points. Prairie was the top Metro school, finishing fourth. Other Metro team finishes included: Kennedy (fifth), Xavier (seventh), Linn-Mar (eighth) and Washington (10th).

EASTERN IOWA CLASSIC
BOYS
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Dubuque Hempstead 31,  2. Iowa City High 72, 3. Washington 84, 4. Dubuque Wahlert 129, 5. Kennedy 138, 6. Waterloo West 160,  7. Linn-Mar 187, 8. Clinton 205, 9. Davenport North 220, 10. Xavier  240, 11. Iowa City Regina 277.

WASHINGTON : 4. Sam Eck 16:28.3, 10. Finbar Berry 16:49.4, 17. Sam Werner 17:08.3, 25. Wyatt Forster 17:28.5,  28. Ryan Miller 17:32.5, 39. Ian Klopfenstein 17:51.9, 48. Augie Bergstrom 18:03.9.

KENNEDY: 11. Addison   Furry 16:49.5, 20. Andrew Solsrud 17:17.4, 24. Derek Girling 17:27.8, 34. Reece Linder 17:45.7, 49. Tim Zange 18:05.4, 55. Hunter Schoenauer 18:28.9, 56. Riley Patton 19:32.8.

LINN-MAR: 12. Michael Mather 16:50.9, 35. Johnny Clymer 17:47.6,  40. Thomas Doyle 17:52.9, 46.  Kyle Gansen  18:03., 54. Jake Bushlack, 12 18:25.8,  60. Griffin Lorenz 18:43.4, 68. Ethan Schmidt 19:20.6.

XAVIER: 8. Steven Culpepper 16:39.6, 44. Evan Gradoville 18:01.9,  61. John Pape 18:51.9,  63. Nolan Pithan 19:02.6,  64. Evan  Bednar 19:03.5, 65. Nick Lyon 19:03.8, 66. Sam Rohret 19:05.1.

GIRLS
TEAM STANDINGS
1. Iowa  City High 51, 2. Dubuque Hempstead 59,  3. Iowa City Regina 95, 4. Prairie 109, 5. Kennedy 129, 6. Dubuque Wahlert 144,  7. Xavier 200, 8. Linn-Mar 222, 9. Clinton 237, 10. Washington 257, 11. Waterloo West 313,  12. Davenport North 319.

PRAIRIE: 18. Cayla Renwick 16:06.1, 20. Sarah Meyers 16:11.7,  22. Hannah Frazee 16:15.4,  24. Eilish Stanek 16:18.8,  25. Alissa Neubauer 16:19.4, 31. Victoria Enyart 16:37.2, 34. Kristin Skriver 16:48.4.

KENNEDY: 15. Lauren Meyer 16:02.2, 16. Hannah Fusselman 16:02.5, 19. Laura Feld  16:10.1,  38. Kate Nus 16:53.6, 41. Lauren Gifford 16:54.9, 49 Alli Meyer 17:03.0, 53. Emily Manders 17:24.8.

XAVIER: 6. Jenny Dickes  15:31.3, 29. Emiko Coffey 16:36.2, 50. Kiana Stanek 17:06.1, 57.  Lydia   Brown     17:42.4,   58. Annie Sigmon 17:47.3 62. Faith Satern 18:10.9, 65. Jennifer Sigmon 18:22.8.

LINN-MAR: 36.  Jaclyn Simons 16:52.7, 40. Madeline Block, 16:54.7, 43. Abby Van Rheenen 16:55.5, 44. Abby Gries 16:56.2,  59  Crystal Barajas-Peterson 17:47.4, 61. Emma Clanin 18:09.1.

WASHINGTON: 9. Sarah Altemeier 15:37.1, 51. Sierra Sheets 17:08.7, 60. Serena Eck 17:48.7, 64. Brett Visser 18:17.3, 73. Anne Visser 19:21.4.