Teeter’s win highlights meet title for PCM girls at annual home meet

MONROE — The PCM girls cross country team was missing one of its top five runners on Monday. But that didn’t stop the Class 2A No. 9 Mustangs from dominating their home meet at Gateway Recreation Golf Course.

Abi Teeter led an entire stable of Mustangs in the top 15, and PCM scored 24 points at the top of the standings. The next closest team was 42 points back in second.

“To win my senior year and to win as a team was awesome,” Teeter said. “I never would have thought this was possible back as a freshman. We didn’t really have a team then. The program has grown, we’re getting better and the boys are putting it down now, too.”

Both Mustang squads won meet championships. They each cracked the 2A rankings last week for the first time in program history, too.

Teeter was the girls’ 5K winner. She moved all the way up to No. 14 in the latest individual rankings that were released on Monday. The team dropped to ninth but only because it did not compete last week due to weather postponements.

“It’s amazing and such a privilege to be a part of this team,” junior Bailey Wheeler said. “I’ve been enjoying every moment of it. We set our expectations high today. We expected to win the meet. We all had that mindset, it’s our course and we deserve it.”

The Mustangs, who are looking to qualify for state for the second straight season later this fall, have had a different order for a lot of meets.

Teeter has been consistently at the front of the pack, but Ali Hilsabeck was second on the squad for the first time on Monday. The Mustangs also competed without varsity runner Darbey DeRaad, who is nursing a minor injury.

“We’re interchangeable. If someone has a bad day, it doesn’t’ matter because the person behind you will make up for it,” Teeter said. “If someone beats me, that’s OK. We’re on the same team and making each other better.”

No one finished in front of Teeter at Gateway. The Mustang senior navigated her way around the new course in a winning time of 21 minutes, 35.10 seconds.

Hilsabeck placed sixth in 23:22.5, Wheeler was seventh in 23:31.62 and Lila Milani took eighth in 23:50.86. Paiten Rumbaugh (24:25.55) was the final scoring runner in 10th.

“My body felt good and the mindset was strong. It was cool to run in front of the home fans,” Hilsabeck said. “The competition helps make us better. We often speed up or go faster when we see teammates near us.”

Jodi Jungling (24:42.45), Annie Ford (25:11.51), Raegan Vannoy (25:58.41) and Lexi Fagg (26:18.11) all were non-scoring runners in 13th, 15th, 21st and 24th, respectively.

Perry did not have enough runners for a team score, but Lily Myers was the runner-up in 22:12.59.

North Mahaska, which was led by Emmerson Jedlicka (22:36.89) in third, placed second as a team with 66 points.

Des Moines Hoover (74), Davis County (102), Pleasantville (112), BGM (162) and Pella Christian’s JV (190) completed the seven-team field. Perry, Saydel and Woodward-Granger had incomplete teams.

“It’s nice to be ranked, and it does a lot for the district stuff, but you have to remember at the end of the year, the rankings don’t tell the whole story,” PCM head cross country coach Eric Osterhaus said. “We have to be ready to go come conference, district and state no matter what we’re ranked.

“But they come to work every day and know what it takes to be good. They’re willing to put in the work.”

Teeter competed in PCM’s home meet for the first time in a few years due to illnesses the past two seasons. She was a bit disappointed that 2A No. 8 Pella Christian did not bring its varsity team but enjoyed the new course.

The Eagles’ varsity runners did not compete because the program participated in the Heartland Classic at Central College two days earlier.

“It was frustrating for me. You want to run against tough competition,” Teeter said. “It can give you confidence. If they don’t want to run against us that’s fine, we’ll see them at the state meet. They have a great group of girls. They were cheering us out on the course. I think the outcome would have been the same if they ran against us though.”

Notes: Both PCM cross country programs were ranked last week for the first time in school history. Not competing last week hindered both teams when the new rankings came on Monday. “I wasn’t sure Oskaloosa was going to have their meet so I tried to be proactive with the Panorama meet and then that one got called off,” Osterhaus said. “I was pretty bummed about not racing last week, but they didn’t miss a beat. They looked good today.” ... Teeter, a two-time individual state qualifier, likes the way both cross country squads have embraced the slogan on the back of their team shirts. “We show up every day, we get better every day and the back of our shirts say ‘when you run with your heart, you’re unstoppable,’” Teeter said. “ If we don’t have grit or heart, then what are we? I think that’s why we’re good.” … Osterhaus said he changed the course to make it more challenging. Teeter, Wheeler and Hilsabeck all agreed it was tougher but better for the team in the long run. “It was more like a cross country course,” Teeter said. “The previous route was fingers and it was constant turns. We had less starting and stopping, and this is exactly what you want. It’s hard, but there are plenty of points where you can get yourself together.”