NHS teams run 6th at Cardinal Invitational

Runners competing in the 39th annual Newton High Cardinal Invitational cross country meet Tuesday couldn’t have much better weather to race on the course across Westwood Golf Course.

Newton’s girls and boys claimed sixth in their respective varsity divisions. Class 3A top-ranked Grinnell won the boys’ varsity team title with 43 points followed by Des Moines Roosevelt with 52 points. Ankeny ran away with the girls’ varsity championship with 39 points followed by Southeast Polk with 61 points.

Newton’s boys scored 185 points for sixth place. Ankeny finished third with 56, 3A third-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes was fourth with 62 points and Oskaloosa took fifth with 144 points. Marshalltown was seventh with 219 followed by Perry with 253 and Des Moines East in ninth with 256 points.

The Cardinal girls tallied 152 points for sixth place. Grinnell placed third with 88 points and Class 4A 15th-ranked Des Moines Roosevelt was fourth with 92 points. Oskaloosa finished with 101 points for fifth. Marshalltown scored 189 points for seventh and Perry had 230 points taking eighth.

Rachel Rhoads, Newton’s freshman who is ranked 10th in Class 3A, ran a personal-best time to capture the sixth-place medal. Rhoads ran the 5K course in 20 minutes, 55 seconds.

Class 4A’s 11th-ranked Sierra Mitchell of Southeast Polk was the top medalist in 20:05 followed by 3A’s sixth-ranked Sienna DeJong of Oskaloosa in second in 20:31.

“This course is tough with the extra 1,000 meter loop as it adds in a rather long hill,” Newton girls’ head coach Rachelle Tipton said. “The girls did a great job persevering. Rachel got out well and held on strong; she really fought for that place and time.”

Caelyn Briley, another freshman, was Newton’s No. 2 runner in the race, finishing 29th in 22:58 and sophomore Tessa Keeton was 31st in 23:23. Freshman Abbie Barr placed 42nd in 25:08 followed by junior Ellie Horn in 44th at 25:51.

Juniors Katherine Thorpe and Michaella Cope were 48th and 49th, respectively, in 27:28 and 27:32. Tipton said Keeton and Cope were very close to their best times and looked good throughout the race.

Newton had two girls in the junior varsity race. Sophomore Rylie Bakalar posted her best 5K time in 31:43 for 80th. Tipton said Bakalar had a great night and a solid comeback after missing last week.

Senior Annie Hurt ran her final Cardinal Invitational. She placed 97th in the junior varsity race in 35:53. Newton’s other senior, Grace Coen, is still sidelined with an injury. Coen, a three-time state qualifier, has yet to compete this season.

Leading top-ranked Grinnell to the boys’ varsity team title was Class 3A’s top-ranked individual — senior Jackson Schulte. Schulte won the individual top medal, running the 5K race in 17:03.

Newton’s top finisher was sophomore Jack Callaghan in 21st in 18:31. Three other sophomores followed for the Cardinals — Michael Bradley in 33rd at 19:16, Bradley Portner in 42nd in 20:01 and Dylan Main in 43rd in 20:07.

“The course was a difficult one and our teams performed very well against some very good and established programs,” Newton boys’ head coach Steve Weeks said. “I’m very proud of our boys. There is nothing better than turning in great results on our home turf.”

Junior Noah Sander placed 46th in the varsity race in 20:45 and freshman Adam Hunter was 47th in 21:04.

Newton’s two senior boys Zach Theis and Chase Dykstra ran their final Cardinal Invitational. Theis placed 50th in the varsity race at 21:20. Dykstra ran in the junior varsity race, taking 128th in 24:44.

Sophomore Ross Hull led the Cardinal junior varsity boys, finishing 81st in 22:16. Connor Moon, a freshman, was 126th in 24:36 and sophomore Blake Robson took 132nd in 24:53. Freshman Larkin Christy took 151st in 26:40 and junior Spencer Elbert ran 152nd in 26:41.

Newton’s cross country teams travel to Indianola Thursday.

Newton’s meet also had a middle school division with a girls and a boys race. Here are the Newton results:

Newton Girls

16. Kynnedei Terpstra, 7, 15:34

24. Abby Altman, 8, 15:57

30. Jenna Smith, 8, 16:02

32. Jade Miller, 7, 16:03

33. Meg Callaghan, 7, 16:03

84. Abby Davis, 8, 17:41

88. Tes Schuster, 8, 17:48

89. Nykole Hernandez, 7, 17:48

120. Natalie Forck, 7, 19:15

160. Mady Walker, 8, 23:50

185. Anna Fitzgerald, 7, 28:20

Colfax-Mingo Girls

2. Abbey McConeghey, 8, 14:02

80. Rachel Smith, 7, 17:29

93. Crystal Lincoln, 7, 18:03

103. Jodine Woods, 8, 18:32

140. Summer Weber, 8, 20:52

167. Miranda McGill, 7, 24:00

Newton Boys

20. Luke Zaabel, 8,14:12

67. Colton Forck, 8, 5:17

114. Anthony Bestell, 7, 16:49

129. Trent Hammand, 7, 17:14

140. Landon Heisdorffer, 8, 17:38

141. Thomas Hodnett, 7, 17:41

156. Dakota Gooden, 7, 18:20

170. Gatlin Chambers, 8, 1853

189. Andrew Culbertson, 7, 20:05

197. Parker Sherwood, 8, 20:47

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com