Tigers Look To Make Postseason Run
TIPTON — The Tipton girl’s cross-country team has high hopes this year that this may be the season that the Tigers make a run at state. The Tigers nearly had two runners qualify for state last season. Then, freshman, Rachel Bierman qualified for the state meet, while teammate Kallie Wallick nearly qualified for state. The pair return along with two others this year and a handful of new runners.

Returning from last season are Rachel Bierman, Ashlynn Curry, Halle McCollough, and Kallie Wallick. All four ran at the River Valley Conference meet and the state qualifying meet a year ago.

Bierman finished 22nd at the conference meet in 22:14 and 14th at the state qualifying meet in 22:24. At state, Bierman placed 86th in a time of 22:00. Curry placed 61st at the RVC meet in 24:43 and 44th at the state qualifying meet in 25:07. Wallick placed 25th at the RVC meet in 22:20 and 16th at the state qualifying meet in 22:27. McCollough placed 67th at the RVC meet in 25:11 and 50th at the state qualifying meet in 25:57.

Rezac placed 47th at the RVC meet and 43rd at the state qualifying meet. Elijah placed 36th at the RVC meet and 42nd at the state qualifying meet. Conrad placed 52nd at the RVC meet and 45th at the state qualifying meet. Schott placed 35th at the RVC meet and 36th at the state qualifying meet. Curry placed 54th at the RVC meet and 55th at the state qualifying meet. Comstock placed 127th at the RVC meet.

New faces on the Tigers roster this season are Haylee Heister, Addie Bierman, Becca Stroup, Alyssa Mente, and Ali Nash.

The Tigers will run at nine regular-season meets and get their season underway on August 30 at Iowa City Regina. Tipton will host a large invitational on September 4 before running at meets at Monticello, English Valleys, Solon, Anamosa and Williamsburg in September. Tipton runs at West Delaware and North Linn in October before competing at the River Valley Conference meet on October 11 in Iowa City.

Gone From 2017: Zoe Rezac, Madison Conrad, Alyssa Elijah, Zoe Comstock, Tiffany Schott, Jaydon Bierman.

Returning From 2017: Rachel Bierman, Ashlynn Curry, Halle McCollough, Kallie Wallick.

New Faces: Haylee Heister, Addie Bierman, Becca Stroup, Alyssa Mente, Ali Nash.

Berry Returns For Wildcats
DURANT — The Durant girl’s cross-country team returns four runners from last season. that ran at the River Valley Conference and at the Class 1A state qualifying meet in Cedar Rapids last year. Tracy Tappendorf returns to coach the Wildcats and enters her second season at the helm. Last season, she took over for Nolan Hovland who took another teaching job out of the district.

The Wildcats placed 9th in the River Valley Conference meet last season. The Wildcats finished less than ten points out of eighth place. Gone from last year’s team are Aubrey Doerscher and Morgan Mital-Russell.

Back this season for Durant is Ellie Berry, Tori Novinski, Heidi Wolf, Kyrnan Liske-Rocholz, and Kerrigan Johnson.

Durant finishers at the RVC meet were 37th Ellie Berry 23:22, 47th Tori Novinski 24:07, 60th Heidi Wolf 24:38, 69. Kerrigan Johnson 25:23, 75. Krynan-Liske-Rocholz 26:12, 89. Morgan Mital-Russell 26:55, and 101st Aubrey Doerscher 27:38.

Finishers at the state qualifying meet were 14th Ellie Berry 21:45, 31st Tori Novinski 22:59, 38th Heidi Wolf 23:49, 49th Kerrigan Johnson 24:31, 55th Krynan Liske-Rocholz 25:07, 76th Morgan Mital 26:45, and 88th Aubrey Doerscher 28:46. Berry Berry placed 84th at the state meet in a time of 21:53.

Durant opens the 2018 season at Clinton on August 28. The Wildcats run at an invitational on October 6 before going to the RVC meet on October 11 in Iowa City.

Beavers Running For Top Half Finish, Have New Coach
WILTON — The Wilton girl’s cross-country team returns many of their runners from last season, one where the Beavers placed 8th at the River Valley Conference meet in 2017. Back this season are Emmy Drake, Linsey Ford, Abby Brown, Michaela Breed, Lindsey Randolph, Zoe Barrett, and Meggan Hook. The Beavers have not placed higher than sixth at any RVC meet. They hope that this year is the one where they place in the top-5.

Wilton will have a new coach for the second time in three seasons. Longtime wrestling and boy’s golf coach Nick Doehrman will lead the program, taking over for Cory Garvin who resigned after his second stint as the head coach.

The Beavers times and finishes from the RVC Meet last year were 31st Linsey Ford 22:48, 33rd Emmy Drake 22:50, 68. Abby Brown 25:19, 74. Lindsey Randolph 26:11, 80. Kirsten Jurgersen 26:28, 85th Zoe Barrett 26:40 and 91st Michaela Breed 27:02.

Wilton had two runners place in the top-30 at the Solon state qualifying meet last year. They were 24th Emmy Drake 22:42, 30th Linsey Ford 22:57. New faces on the Beavers team this year are Franchesca Owens and Ansley Boorn.

The Beavers run at nine regular-season meets with two in August, five in September and two in October. The Beavers begin the 2018 season on August 28 at Louisa-Muscatine. Wilton will run at Iowa City Regina in their other August meet. Wilton will run at Tipton, Monticello, English Valleys, Mount Pleasant and North Cedar in September and at DeWitt and Columbus Junction in October. The Beavers will be at the RVC meet on October 11.

Montz Returns For Knights, North Cedar Has New Coach
CLARENCE — Change is the word for the North Cedar girl’s cross-country team this season. The Knights welcome a new coach and some new runners to the team. The Knights will be coached by Brittany Potts. The Knights coach for the past few years, Kirk Ketelsen retired this summer leaving an opening. Potts steps to lead the program and is beginning her second year at the school.

Returning from the 2017 season are Carly Montz, Kiley Chapman, Karly Cerda, Juliet Spahr, and Sarah Redhage. New faces for the team this season are Megan Driscoll, and Hunter Jones.

North Cedar placed 5th at the 13-team River Valley Conference meet last season. It was their second straight season placing 5th at the conference meet. The Knights had two runners last season earn all-conference honors. Carly Montz and Tessa Fields were those runners. Montz placed 15th overall in 22:03 and Fields was 19th in 22:13. Other North Cedar times at the meet were 34th Kiley Chapman 22:58, 42nd Cassie Cox 23:33, 44th Grace Proesch 23:54, 79th Haley Fall 26:27, 86th Karly Cerda 26:46.

Carly Montz qualified for the 2018 state cross-country meet after placing 11th in 22:10 at a state qualifying meet in Iowa City last year. The Knights had three top-30 runners behind Montz. Senior Tessa Fields placed 17th in 22:29, Kiley Chapman placed 21st in 23:07 and Cassie Cox placed 25th in 23:26. Other North Cedar finishers were Grace Proesch 36th, Haley Fall 65th, and Karly Cerda 68th.

A week later, Montz placed 84th at state in a time of 21:58.

Gone from last season are Cassie Cox, Fiona Raney, Tessa Fields, Grace Proesch, and Haley Fall. Proesch graduated and now at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.

The Knights run at eight regular season meets with three in August, four in September and one in October. The Knights begin the 2018 season on August 21 at Mt. Vernon and have August meets at Cedar Rapids Prairie and Iowa City Regina. North Cedar will have three meets in before the Tipton Invitational on September 4. North Cedar also travels to Midland, Bellevue and host a home meet on September 24. The Knights travel to West Delaware on October 2 before competing at the River Valley Conference meet on October 11 at the Iowa City Kickers Soccer Complex.