Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – A good kick, or the ability to finish a race strong, is a valuable tool for a runner.

The kick for Regina sophomore Kennedy Scott finishing strong isn’t limited to individual races it spans the entire end of the season.

For the second year in a row Scott continued to show off her late-season kick on Thursday placing 11th to help Regina to a fourth-place team finish at the River Valley Conference meet at Kickers Soccer Park in Iowa City.

“I just think it takes me a while to get in shape but once I get in the groove I really feel strong,” Scott said. “I felt strong today.”

In her debut season last fall Scott took more than six minutes off her time throughout the course of the season while qualifying for the state meet as a freshman.

Scott has followed a similar path toward what she hopes is second straight trip to state this season.

At the season-opening Bob Brown Invitational at the same course Scott finished 49th in a time of 24:24.99.

She took more than two and a half minutes off that time on Thursday, placing just outside the top 10 in a time of 21:40.08.

“I think that for her she has to get her racing shoes underneath her,” Regina coach Chris Murdock said. “You can run all summer and you can do all these things but I think it takes some people a race or two to figure out how to get back into racing mode. It has taken her a couple of races but she has taken off since then.”

Scott was the sixth Regina runner to cross the finish line at the Bob Brown Invitational in August.

Thursday, she led a trio of Regals that finished in the top 26 to help Regina finish fourth behind three teams ranked in the top six.

“After the first meet I was really tough on myself but I think that helped push me to get to where I am at now,” Scott said. “I just used it as motivation.”

Sisters Marie Hostetler and Anna Hostetler finished first and second respective to lead Class 2A top-ranked Mid-Prairie to the team title with 31 points.

Fourth-ranked Monticello was second with 51 points and No. 6 Cascade was third with 93.

Molly Vittetoe placed 17th in 22:05.33 and Nourah Abusada was 26th in 22:36.3 as Regina finished with 119 points, 31 in front of No. 11 North Cedar.

“It just seems easy running here because we’ve done it so much,” Vittetoe said of running at home. “You know where everything is here and I think that helped us.”

Senior Lauren Gaarde finished 30th in a time of 22:47.65 for Regina which now turns its attention to next week’s state qualifier and securing a trip to the state meet after missing out last year in its return to Class 2A.

The Regals join Monticello and North Cedar at the 2A state qualifying meet at the Kickers Course.

“We had a lot of girls run well today, Lauren Gaarde ran really well for us today and they are excited for next week,” Murdock said. “I think they are ready.”

River Valley Conference Meet

At Kickers Soccer Park

Girls Results

Team scores – 1. Mid-Prairie 31; 2. Monticello 51; 3. Cascade 93; 4. Regina 119; 5. North Cedar 150; 6. Tipton 181; 7. Camanche 202; 8. Wilton 240; 9. Durant 245; 10. Northeast 263; 11. Bellevue 281.

Individual results – 1. Marie Hostetler (MP) 18:29.52; 2. Anna Hostetler (MP) 19:32.33; 3. Paige Holub (MON) 20:13.59; 4. Ana Fleming (MP) 20:36.98; 5. Madeline Rhomberg (CAS) 20:52.47; 6. Madison Kelchen (CAS) 20:55; 7. Taylor McDonald (MON) 21:06.17; 8. Kailey Miller (BEL) 21:06.5; 9. Gabrielle Steiner (MON) 21:08.08; 10. Abbagail Evans (MP) 21:23.59.

Regina – 11. Kennedy Scott 21:40.08; 17. Molly Vittetoe 22:05.53; 26. Nourah Abusada 22:36.3; 30. Lauren Gaarde 22:47.65; 36. Emma Welter 23:15.43; 39. Bree Balke 23:24.17; 40. Natalie Sueppel 23:24.52.