July 09, 2025

Three Mustangs medal at Saydel

DES MOINES — Three runners from PCM’s cross country teams medaled at the Saydel Eagles Cross Country Invitational on Oct. 8.

Paige Steenhoek and Tiffani Koonce were in the top 15 in the girls’ 5K race as the Mustangs finished fourth in the team race.

Beau Webb was 18th in the boys’ race, leading the PCM boys to a seventh-place finish.

The PCM girls, who are a “team to watch” in the 2A rankings, scored 91 points in fourth. North Polk won the team title with 41 points, while 2A No. 14 Des Moines Christian (43) and 1A No. 6 Van Meter (59) finished third.

Grand View Christian (138) and Saydel (160) were behind PCM.

Steenhoek was sixth in the girls’ 5K race. She finished in 21 minutes, 33 seconds.

Koonce also earned a medal in 15th with a time of 22:31. The rest of the scoring runners were Riley DeVore (23:14) in 22nd, Margo Chipps (23:43) in 30th and Sophia Steenhoek (24:39) in 39th.

Taryn Steenhoek (25:11) and Delaney Baird (25:13) were 43rd and 44th, respectively.

Class 1A No. 7 Clare Kelly of Van Meter won the race in 20:03, while 1A No. 8 Mary Kelly of Van Meter was next in 20:41.

PCM’s boys scored 194 points in seventh. Class 3A No. 5 North Polk won the team title with 23 points, while 2A No. 7 Des Moines Christian was second with 37.

Greene County (112), Interstate 35 (146), Grand View Christian (146) and Van Meter (189) also were in front of PCM.

Webb’s 18th-place finish in the boys’ 5K race was clocked at 19:06. Caden Bouwkamp (20:22) was 39th, Garin Padget (20:57) placed 49th, Kyle Sanders (21:02) finished 53rd and Colton St. Pierre (23:05) ended up 83rd.

Class 2A No. 8 Carson Houg of Des Moines Christian won the race in 16:30. Class 3A No. 14 Zach Sporaa (16:35) and 3A No. 16 Max Sporaa (16:41), who are both from North Polk, were second and third, respectively.

PCM was back at Saydel for the Heart of Iowa Conference meet on Oct. 12 in Des Moines.