Five Grundy Center runners earned top-10 individual medals at the Sam Iverson Invitational at Town & Country Golf Club in Grundy Center on Thursday, Sept. 25.
In the girls race, Grace Storjohann was third in 20:22 and Evelyn Geerdes took eighth place. Emerson Vokes cruised to the boys individual title in 16:14, while underclassman teammates Jayce Fryslie and Leo Block finished in sixth and eighth place, respectively.
Storjohann’s time was a new personal best on the home course.
“My first mile was really strong today, and it helps to have good competitors and a strong lead pack,” Storjohann said. “It’s not always the best to be running in the heat and today was still pretty hot for cross country so I feel like I’m just waiting for my time to come when it’s a little cooler.”
Geerdes, a junior who finished 19th at last year’s Sam Iverson Invite, was more than a minute faster than her sophomore time to get into the top 10.
“She’s a real show of how hard work pays off,” Storjohann said. “She trained a lot this summer, she’s running a lot outside of practice and you can see the difference it’s made.”
The Spartans were third as a team with 87 points, trailing Sumner-Fredericksburg (74) and Jesup (81). Maddy Hendershot finished in 20th, Karlee Lynch 26th and Addy Hendershot in 30th.
“I think we’ve got a good team this year,” said Lynch, a senior. “I’m proud of our group, Evelyn has improved so much, Addy’s a freshman running with Maddy and I, and I think we’re all pushing each other to improve.”
Lynch also mentioned the benefit of having good crowd support for the home meet, a sentiment Vokes echoed as a fellow senior who had his senior colleagues in attendance watching him win Thursday’s race, many of whom compete on the Spartan football team that was wrapping up practice at the practice field next to Town & Country.
“It’s my favorite meet of the year,” Vokes said. “I like seeing all my friends out here cheering me on, as well as all the parents and everyone in town that can make it, it just makes it more special.”
Jesup senior Will Nesbit pushed Vokes early on but Vokes pushed ahead in the last half of the race to win by almost a 50-second margin over Nesbit.
“My coach and I decided to just take it out pretty easy that first mile and just ease into the race,” Vokes said. “I think I finally lost [Nesbit] on that uphill close to the two-mile marker, and just closed the race out from there. This race was just about staying in shape, getting fit, and getting a good workout.”
Following the top three Grundy runners were Daniel Barkley in 41st place and Kael Edwards rounding out the scoring with 50th place points.
The Spartans were second as a team with 107 points; Jesup ran away with the team title with 42 points.
“They’ve put in a lot of work since the season started and understand what they need to do,” Vokes said. “Whether it’s a cool down after this race, or finishing a hard workout, I can lead by example and show them how I’ve gotten to where I’m at, and hopefully they can take those same steps and just have the same mentality.”
Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s Caleb Pifkin was the other area medalist, finishing in eighth in the boys race in 18:40. Caleb Bowser was 16th for the Rebels.
JAKE RYDER SPORTS 