GUTHRIE CENTER — The season ended Thursday for the Woodward-Granger cross country teams after both Hawk squads competed in a Class 1A State Qualifying Meet hosted by AC/GC.
The top three teams and top 15 individual in both races advanced to the state meet, which will be held Oct. 27 at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge.
The W-G girls were 12th in a 15-team field with 258 points, with the W-G boys 14th among 18 teams with 318 points. Earlham won both sides, claiming the girls crown with 86 points and the boys with 84. Tri-Center (99) was the girls runner-up and AC/GC (108) third, with Nodaway Valley (92) edging out Woodward Academy (96) for second place in the boys race.
Payton Pogge of Tri-Center and Emma Lucas of Bedford were 1-2 in the girls race with times of 19 minutes, 56 seconds and 20:41, respectively. AC/GC junior Kate Crawford, who had the third fastest time at the 1A state meet last year (Pogge was fourth), placed third in 21:07. The 15th and final qualifying time was 22:48.66. A total of 127 runners competed.
Posey Robinson and Bella Milosevich were 46-47, in 25:39.34 and 25:56.31, respectively, to lead the W-G girls. Josie Noland (51st, 26:07.08) and Katie Grell (52nd, 26:15.05) also scored, as did Natalie Helbling (62nd, 26:36.01). Ava Petersen (65th, 27:03.62) and Sydney Grell (69th, 27:29.41) were also in action for the Hawks.
Nodaway Valley’s Joshua Baudler won the 143-entrant boys race in 17:31.77, with AC/GC’s Noah Nelsen second in 17:41.18. The 15th and final qualifying time was 18:42.08.
W-G’s top three finishers were 39-49-57, with Alex Bice (20:17.2), Dylan Steele (20:35.68) and Caleb Jones (20:59.45) filling the spots. Nick Buch (86th, 22:46.58) and Andrew Anderson (87th, 22:47.61) also had their places tabulated, while Noah Gleason (90th, 23:03.97) and Kurt Crouse (91st, 23:07.92) also ran the course for W-G.
