Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – The past two seasons Kaylie Barker has barely snuck into the state cross country meet.

The Clear Creek Amana junior has grabbed the final spot at state with a 15th place finish at the state qualifying meet in each of his first two seasons.

Barker plans to avoid a similar high-drama finish at the state qualifier next month and is aiming to improve on her 60th place state finish from last season.

She looked fully capable of meeting both of those goals on Monday.

Barker placed fifth at the Clipper Cross Country Classic at Kickers Soccer Park on Monday in a time of 22:17.29.

“I want to try to up my place and not get that 15th spot at the state qualifying meet,” Barker said. “That’s what I’ve done other years and it puts more pressure on you. I definitely want to try to move up higher this year.”

Barker fought high temperatures and a field that included standout Mid-Prairie sisters Marie and Anna Hostetler to finish fifth on Monday, her second highest finish of the season and best since placing third at the Benton Invitational on Sept. 9.

Marie Hostetler was the only runner to break 20 minutes on Monday, running away with the individual title in 19:35.03.

Anna Hostetler was second in 20:02.45 more than a minute faster than teammate Anna Fleming who was third in 21:15.82 as Mid-Prairie won the team title with 17 points.

Barker finished 15 seconds behind Winfield-Mount Union senior Pearl Krieger-Coble who was fourth in 22:03.95.

“I think today she should have been top five and that’s where she finished,” Clear Creek Amana coach Jane Astor said. “With the heat today you are looking at position and she was positioned pretty well.”

Barker was a state qualifier two seasons ago as a freshman, placing 58th at the Class 3A state meet.

She returned to state last season, finishing 60th.

Midway through her junior season Barker feels different than she has the past two seasons.

“I think I’m stronger this year than I have been the past couple of year,” Barker said. “I guess that’s a good sign.”

Astor believes from the second to third season of cross country is when athletes make their biggest gains.

So far that has been true for Barker who Astor says is performing better daily in workouts than in previous seasons.

“She is running pretty much the same workouts as last year but I think the difference is that this year she is physically able to handle it,” Astor said. “She is more rested and I think confidence is a big deal.”

Barker opened the season finishing 26th at the 30-team Cedar Rapids Prairie and has finished in the top 15 at each of her last six meets.

“We had some cool temperatures and she ran some really good races and some good times and that built her confidence,” Astor said. “Confidence says a lot.”

The fifth-place finish on Monday was the second top five finish and third top-10 performance for Barker in her last five races.

“I’ve been training harder, putting in extra miles and that helps,” Barker said. “I want to make it to state and try to get a better place than last year, that’s my main goal.”

Astor has no question that Barker, who is ranked No. 29 in the latest 3A individual rankings by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches, is only going to get better.  

“I think she has improved from last year,” Astor said. “Her PR is 19:53 and we certainly think she can run faster than that. I know she can.”

Clipper Cross Country Classic

At Kickers Park

Girls Results

Team scores – 1. Mid-Prairie 17; 2. Vinton-Shellsburg 58; 3. Clear Creek Amana 62; 4. Columbus 120.

Individual results – 1. Marie Hostetler (MP) 19:35.03; 2. Anna Hostetler (MP) 10:02.45; 3. Anna Fleming (MP) 21:15.82; 4. Pearl Krieger-Coble (WMU) 22:03.95; 5. Kaylie Barker (CCA) 22:18.29; 6. Abbagail Evans (MP) 22:45.4; 7. Moriah Brase (MP) 22:57.38; 8. Kate Cavanaugh (MP) 23:20.56; 9. Amelia Birker (VS) 24:15.94; 10. Kessa Jones (MP) 24:28.28.

Clear Creek Amana – 5. Kaylie Barker 22:18.29; 12. Madeline Fox 25:42.91; 13. Ellen Austin 25:50.38; 16. Olivia Fairholm 26:39.27; 17. Ally Loren 26:43.91; 18. Ellie Waterbury 27:13.85; 20. Kayla Jiras 27:23.67.