For the majority of the City High Cross Country runners last Thursday, October 17, was their last race. Both the boys and girls cross country teams competed in the Mississippi Valley Conference Divisional. It was held at home at the Ashton Cross Country Course and hosted by City High. The weather was the epitome of a fall day, with the leaves falling and the crisp air blowing. 

“It’s so surreal. I’ve been doing cross country for six years, it’s hard to believe that it’s over after this. I’m so glad we got to end it on such a good note. We’re here at our home course, and I’m with all of my best friends. It’s just a crazy experience,” said Mary Bounds ‘20.

         The girls team started the night with a win in the freshman and sophomore race, making them MVC Champions. They scored first, second, third, sixth and eighth ending in first with a total of 20 points. Freshman Natalie Kuhlman won the race with a time of 20:49. The second-place team, rivals Dubuque Senior, ended with 43 points.

         City High girls also won the junior varsity race, making them MVC champions, ending with 29 points with scorers in first, second, sixth, seventh, and thirteenth. Junior Cece Kelley-Harvey won the race with a time of 20:18. Dubuque Senior ended just eight points away in second. 

         The girls varsity team of seven came in second with a score of 56, with scorers in third, sixth, twelve, thirteenth, and twenty-second, twenty-four points behind Dubuque Senior who ended in first. City High front runner Rowan Boulter ‘22 came in third with a time of 18:54, a personal record. 

“The team did really well. We had four people break 20 minutes, and two of them was their first time ever doing that. It was one of their biggest goals and it was a huge deal. I’m proud of our team. Our top five were under 20:15, It was awesome we did really well, and we were close together too, which was the first time that happened. It was awesome,” said Boulter.

         The boys started out their evening in the freshman/sophomore race coming in second, with scorers in third, fifth, eleventh, twelve, and thirteenth totaling out to be forty-four points. They were beaten by Cedar Rapids Prairie who scored thirty points. City’s front runner was Braeden Marker ‘23 with a time of 17:34.

         Their junior varsity won their race with twenty-six points with scorers coming in second, third, fourth, eighth, and ninth. Senior Caden Turnbough came in second with a time of 17:08, quickly followed by Andre Miller ‘21 and Joe Fischer ‘21 with times of 17:09 and 17:34. They are MVC Champions also. 

“We went out with a big pack at the beginning, I think Matt Taylor pulled us out too fast, I know a couple guys died out, but I fell back a little to play it smart. I had a lot of fun,” said Liam Barron ‘20, who came in eighteenth with a time of 18:26. 

         The boys varsity ended in third with a score of 86, with scorers in eighth, tenth, twenty-first, twenty-third, and twenty-fourth. Freshman Ford Washburn was the front runner on City’s team, coming in eighth with a time of 16:30.