Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Thanks to a victory at the Mediapolis Invite in 2017 Thursday’s win at the Trojan Early Bird Invitation won’t go down as the first championship for the Liberty High boys cross country team.

The performance by the Lightning in its season-opener on Thursday may end up considered the program’s turning point.

Liberty High put four runners in the top 10 and rolled to the team title at the five-team meet at Ashton Cross Country Course in Iowa City.

“This is a defining moment for the program maybe,” Liberty High coach Josh Hildebrand said. “The summer commitment, the winter running that they did, just the mindset that these guys have is something that we haven’t seen.”

Liberty High was impressive up and down its lineup on Thursday.

First-year runner Bowen Gryp finished runner-up in 17:05 just five seconds off the pace of individual champion Nick Moore of Bettendorf.

Jack Kinzer finished third right on the heels of Gryp at 17:06.1

“We told our guys not to worry about the times with our hard practices the past few days and the temperature today,” Hildebrand said. “We wanted them to go out and compete and they definitely did that.”

Caleb Schillinger placed eighth for Liberty High in 17:46.8 while Christian Montover was ninth in 17:48.1.

Peter Woodward gave Liberty High five runners in the top 15 with a 12th place finish in a time of 18:19.4.

“We aren’t quite full strength yet,” Hildebrand said. “Ethan Keeney was a varsity runner and is coming off some sore legs and Peter Woodward has an ankle injury. They just have run really well. We did a hard practice Monday and we had our time trials on Saturday so they weren’t fresh today and that makes it even better.”

Trojan Early Bird Invitational

At Ashton Cross Country Course

Team scores – 1. Liberty High 34; 2. North Scott 64; 3. Williamsburg 66; 4. Bettendorf 77; 5. Wapello 129

Individual leaders – 1. Nick Moore (BET) 17:00.3; 2. Bowen Gryp (ICL) 17:05; 3. Jack Kinzer (ICL) 17:06.1; 4. Owen West (NS) 17:23.2; 5. Harrison Garber (WIL) 17:33.2; 6. Kyler Castro (BET) 17:36.2; 7. Kaiden Royster (WIL) 17:46.1; 8. Caleb Schillinger (ICL) 17:46.8; 9. Christian Motover (ICL) 17:48.1; 10. Aiden Housman (WAP) 17:56.3

Liberty High – 2. Bowen Gryp 17:05; 3. Jack Kinzer 17:06.1; 8. Caleb Schillinger 17:46.8; 9. Christian Motover 17:48.1; 12. Peter Woodward 18:19.4; 14. Gavin Keeney 18:35.4; 23. Spencer Knight 19:.08.6

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