Linn-Mar Girls Cross Country

Steph Jenks forfeits eligibility in X-C

FORT DODGE - Linn-Mar sophomore Stephanie Jenks will not be eligible to compete in high school cross country meets in Iowa for the rest of her prep career because she ran in open college events this year, IGHSAU Executive Director Mike Dick said Saturday at the state meet in Fort Dodge.

Jenks won the Class 4A state cross country title in 2012 as a freshman, but elected not to run for Linn-Mar this year. Instead, she competed against college runners at races in North Carolina, Wisconsin and Oregon and fared very well.

Dick said the Jenks family knew beforehand that Jenks would forfeit her future cross country eligibility in Iowa if she competed against college runners.

Jenks is competing for the Linn-Mar swimming team this year and was a state champion at the Class 4A track meet last May. Dick said Jenks will continue to be eligible in swimming and track.

Gutsy Lions race to state meet

MARSHALLTOWN - The Linn-Mar girls cross country team wrote its own version of "Profiles In Courage" Thursday afternoon at the Class 4A state qualifier in Marshalltown.

Amber Decker passed two runners with a terrific kick to win the race, draining herself to the point of exhaustion, and a little later Maddie Saville crossed the finish line and dissolved in tears after running the 4K course with stabbing pain in her left foot.

"It really hurts," said Saville, "but I don't know ... Sometimes you have to suck it up."

Saville is normally one of Linn-Mar's top runners, but she finished 20th overall with the foot injury and did not count in the team standings. Nonetheless, she wanted to race and try to help the Lions make the state meet.

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Decker helps Lions drink Valley titles

If you see a blue-eyed sophomore guzzling water at Linn-Mar High School some day, don't be alarmed.

It's just Amber Decker getting ready for another race.

Decker followed her routine perfectly Thursday and won the MVC Valley Division cross country title by more than nine seconds on a sunny day at Noelridge Park.

Josh Evans claimed the boys title by more than 10 seconds as Linn-Mar swept the individual and team championships.

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Linn-Mar boys climb to No.1; girls ranked No.6

The Linn-Mar boys cross country team has climbed to the No.1 ranking in Class 4A this week, the Iowa Track Coaches Association announced Wednesday night.

The Lions jumped from No.6 to No.1 after nipping Cedar Rapids Prairie for the Mississippi Valley Conference title last week. Prairie slipped one notch from No.2 to No.3.

Linn-Mar replaced Johnston at the top of the rankings. The Dragons fell one spot to second.

The Linn-Mar girls, who also claimed top honors at the MVC meet, are the highest-ranked conference team at No.6 in Class 4A this week. Kennedy is ranked eighth.

The Xavier boys are ranked No.5 in Class 3A. The Marion Indians are ranked 12th. The Xavier girls are ranked No.8.

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