Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Ben Robison likes to be organized.

The third-year Clear Creek Amana coach tries to consider every possible factor when assembling the training regime and meet schedule for his cross country team.

Robison’s precise planning was dealt a surprise over the last week with a rare September heat wave that sent temperatures soaring into the 90s.

Not even the unseasonably warm conditions could throw off the Clippers on Monday.

Clear Creek Amana put four runners in the top seven on its way to a runner-up finish at its own Clipper Cross Country Classic on a warm evening at Kickers Soccer Park in Iowa City.

“When I was planning early in the season I was not planning on a 90-degree week at the end of September but they handled it well,” Robison said. “Monday meets are always a crap shoot but I thought they handled it well.”

Led by a runner-up finish from freshman Brandon Barker the Clippers finished two points behind Class 2A third-ranked Mid-Prairie in the team standings with 31 points.

Nick O’Connor placed fifth, Cole Liebe was sixth and Jack Sexton was seventh as Clear Creek Amana notched its fifth consecutive top two finish.

“I liked the way we ran, I was a little disappointed in not winning the meet,” Robison said. “We knew it was going to be a small race and in a small race you have to be on and we had a few guys not run to their potential tonight but it’s September it’s o.k. we are in great shape for the next couple of weeks.”

High temperatures last week made for some interesting and challenging mid-season training sessions.

The Clippers didn’t alter training due to the unexpected heat and humidity but Robison and the Clippers did catch a break with a few scheduled early morning workouts that avoided afternoon high temperatures.

“We’ve just continued training the way that we do and following our regular schedule,” Barker said. “It’s made it a lot harder with the heat but we’ve been trying to keep the same paces.”

Barker and his teammates put that training to good use on Monday.

Despite temperatures that pushed toward 90 degrees Barker improved by nearly 10 seconds from the time he ran at the Kickers Course back on Aug. 31 at the Bob Brown Cross Country Classic.

“The heat really wasn’t too bad, luckily it kind of started to cloud over for our race,” Barker said. “Last time I ran a 17:52 here so my goal was just to beat that and I did so I was happy.

Barker finished in 17:43.36, 15 seconds behind individual champion Floyd Evans of Mid-Prairie.

The top seven finishers came from either Mid-Prairie or Clear Creek Amana with Peyton Miller and Zach Pettit of Mid-Prairie placing third and fourth respectively.

O’Connor was fifth in 18:09.81 heading a pack of three Clippers that finished less than 13 seconds apart.

“It was a good pack today,” O’Connor said. “It was hot out, times weren’t as good but we had a good pack and I thought we ran pretty well.”

Liebe was sixth in 18:15.49 and Sexton was seventh in 18:22.

Junior Kaden McAreavy finished 11th for the Clippers in 18:57.18.

“It’s nice to run somewhere that you are familiar with and it’s nice every once in a while, to run in small meet,” Robison said. “It was a good meet.”

Clipper Cross Country Classic

At Kickers Park

Boys Results

Team scores – 1. Mid-Prairie 29; 2. Clear Creek Amana 31; 3. Vinton-Shellsburg 71; 4. Winfield-Mount Union 115; 5. Columbus 132.  

Individual results – 1. Floyd Evans (MP) 17:28.31; 2. Brandon Barker (CCA) 17:43.36; 3. Peyton Miller (MP) 17:57.79; 4. Zach Pettit (MP) 18:08.35; 5. Nick O’Connor (CCA) 18:09.81; 6. Cole Liebe (CCA) 18:15.49; 7. Jack Sexton (CCA) 18:22; 8. Cole Tharp (VS) 18:34.14; 9. Quinn Schmidt (MP) 18:44.09; 10. Nolan Haisman (VS) 18:51.55.

Clear Creek Amana – 2. Brandon Barker 17:43.36; 5. Nick O’Connor 18:09.81; 6. Cole Liebe 18:15.49; 7. Jack Sexton 18:22; 11. Kaden McAreavy 18:57.18; 19. Daniel Henkle 20:01.39; 20. Shiloh Robbins 20:01.71.