Newton competes with small group at Indianola

INDIANOLA — Four Newton High girls, who normally run junior varsity races for the Cardinals, competed in the varsity division of Thursday’s 50th Indianola Invitational cross country meet.

Newton’s boys sent three freshmen, two sophomores and a first-year senior to compete in a very crowded boys’ junior varsity division.

This week has been filled with Newton High Homecoming activities with the crowning ceremony Thursday morning and homecoming parade Thursday night. The Cardinal cross country teams were paired down for the Indianola meet.

Newton freshman Morgan Stalzer was the top finisher for the Cardinal girls, running the varsity 5K race in 26 minutes, 44 seconds for 56th. Juniors Jenna Smith and Tes Schuster finished 59th and 63rd, respectively in 27:09 and 27:50. Freshman Amor Hilburn was 84th in 37:08.

There were 88 runners in the varsity girls’ race won by Class 3A second-ranked Ainsley Erzen, Carlisle freshman, in 19:11. Class 4A No. 11 Ankeny Centennial edged 4A No. 12 Urbandale for the team title, 61 points to 62 points, in a field of 12 teams.

Ankeny Centennial, which is ranked No. 12 in 4A, won the boys’ varsity team championship with 58 points. There were 14 teams and 97 runners in the varsity race. Urbandale junior Payton Marrs, ranked No. 8 in 4A, was the individual champion in 16:41.

The boys’ junior varsity division had 16 teams and 410 runners competing. Dowling won the title with 17 points placing runners 1-2-3-4. Newton’s boys combined for a team score of 331 for 10th.

Leading the way for Newton was freshman Treycen Garton in 19th in 19:16. Freshmen Jackson Mace-Maynard and Emmanuel Roy went 100th and 119th, respectively, in 21:17 and 21:38.

Sophomore Anthony Bestell was 148th in 21:59 and sophomore Trent Hamand placed 339th in 26:26. Nathan Jennings, a senior, was 341st in 26:33.

Newton’s annual Cardinal Invitational was washed out on Tuesday and will not be rescheduled. The Cardinal teams travel to Knoxville on Tuesday with races starting at 5 p.m.

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