Xavier Boys Cross Country

Xavier runners win state qualifier

DECORAH - The Xavier boys cross country team nipped Decorah for top honors at the Class 3A state qualifier in Decorah Thursday.

The Saints edged the Vikings, 62-64, in the 13-team meet.

Xavier earned a spot in the state cross country meet in Fort Dodge next Saturday.

Jonathan Lansing placed fourth for the Saints in 16 minutes, 53 seconds. Then came a tightly-packed trio of John Pape in 10th (17:12), Joe Scieszinski in 12th (17:13) and Nolan Pithan in 13th (17:13). Mahlon Steepleton finished 23rd for the Saints (17:36).

The Xavier girls finished sixth in their race.

BOYS TEAM STANDINGS

1. Xavier 62, 2. Decorah 64, 3. Wahlert 97, 4. Crestwood 138, 5. Waverly-Shell Rock 156, 6. Vinton-Shellsburg 160, 7. Charles City 180, 8. Benton Community 210, 9. Center Point-Urbana 247, 10. Iowa Falls-AGWSR 258, 11. Union 295, 12. Independence 307, 13. West Delaware 336.

Marion, Xavier boys make state meet

FAIRFIELD - The Marion Indians and Xavier Saints turned in strong performances at the Class 3A boys district cross country meet Thursday in Fairfield and qualified for the state meet.

The Marion Indians finished second in the team standings behind Myles Bach and Jeremy Fopma, who placed second and third in the individual results.

The Xavier Saints finished third in the team standings behind Steve Culpepper, who took fourth in the individual results. Jonathan Francois placed sixth for the Saints.

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VanDraska powers Prairie to title

DUBUQUE - Tysen VanDraska ran away with top honors and led Cedar Rapids Prairie to a convincing victory at the Mississippi Division cross country meet Thursday at the Dubuque Soccer Complex.

VanDraska toured the 5K race in 15 minutes, 29.5 seconds. He defeated teammate Cam Steffens by 29.3 seconds.

The Prairie Hawks also finished 5th, 8th and 9th with Chris Oehlert, Jake Moore and Colton LaGrange to end the meet with 25 points.

Steve Culpepper of Xavier placed seventh. Samuel Eck of Washington was 10th.

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VanDraska gets revenge at MVC meet

WATERLOO - Tysen VanDraska was not happy when he lost to a pair of runners from Cedar Falls at the Cedar Rapids Prairie Invitational back in August at the start of the cross country season.

He did something about it Thursday.

VanDraska used a blistering kick to conquer those same two runners from Cedar Falls and take top honors at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet at Byrnes Park in Waterloo.

Sam Schillinger and Isaac Smith of Cedar Falls pulled away from VanDraska in the final stages of the Prairie Invitational to finish first and second in that race, but this time the Prairie senior was ready for them.

VanDraska sprinted away from the Tigers in the home stretch and won the race in 15 minutes, 46 seconds. He beat Schillinger by four seconds and topped Smith by six seconds.

The three premier distance runners ran neck-and-neck for most of the 5K race before VanDraska took control. It was two-against-one for much of the day in terms of strategy, but VanDraska handled the challenge.

"I knew they were going to try and pick on me the whole race and eventually beat me down, so I just tried my best to stay on them as much as I could," he said. "And I knew I could finish with them."

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