Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Plenty of cross country teams like to tout the depth and balance of their pack.

When Clear Creek Amana runners claim they have multiple runners capable of leading the pack it isn’t lip service.

Brandon Barker and Gavin Zillyette showed the strength of the Clear Creek Amana pack on Thursday each posting top seven finishes at the Bob Brown Classic at Kickers Soccer Park in Iowa City.

“It helps having this many guys that can run up front,” Barker said. “We are pushing pace more in training this year because we have three or four guys that can all stick together and run together and make each other better.”

Seniors Nick O’Connor and Jack Sexton were the top two runners on the Clippers’ Class 3A state runner-up team from a year ago when they each showed the ability to run at the front of the Clipper pack.

Early this season Barker, Zilleyette and junior Caleb Alcorn have given 3A No. 3 Clear Creek Amana the type of top-end depth every program strives for.

Barker finished runner-up on Thursday while Zillyette was seventh as the Clippers put four runners in the top 15 on their way to a third-place team finish.

“It forces everyone to push themselves and it helps in practices to push us to train harder,” Zillyette said. “It’s a positive for us for sure.”

Despite competing without O’Connor who missed a second straight meet with an injury Clear Creek Amana finished third in a 13-team field that featured six ranked teams.

Sexton was 10th and Alcorn was 15th as the Clippers finished with 73 points.  

Class 2A top-ranked Tipton won the team title with 69 points while Liberty High finished with 73.

Class 4A fourth-ranked Western Dubuque was fourth with 75, 3A No. 5 Marion was fifth with 115 and 2A No. 2 Monticello was sixth with 199.

Solon placed ninth with 237 points while Regina was 11th with 297.

“It’s really good, it’s going to be really good when our other two varsity guys hop in the mix next week or the week after,” Clear Creek Amana coach Ben Robison said. “When the pack is strong and then we race each other at the end nothing but good things are going to happen.”

Barker led the Clear Creek Amana pack for the second consecutive meet placing second in 17:16.53.

The junior was nearly 13 seconds back of individual champion Caleb Shumaker of Tipton.

“I was overall pretty happy with how I competed,” Barker said. “I was a little disappointed to be so far behind the number one kid but my time was about 40 seconds faster than last year on the exact same course so I am hoping I can keep up that trend as we continue on this season.”

Zillyette was seventh in 17:36.78 while Sexton was 11 seconds behind at 17:47.88. Alcorn was 15th in 17:53.59.

“I felt a lot better, I think I finished a lot stronger than the last race we had on Saturday,” Zillyette said. “I just felt a lot more energized throughout the race.”

The emergence of Barker and Zillyette as front of the pack runners makes a full-strength Clipper lineup that much more formidable.

“I give Brandon and Gavin a lot of credit,” Robison said. “Those are two of the guys that have really taken the next step forward into being in that elite category. That is pretty cool to see.”

Liberty High followed up a team title at the season-opening Trojan Early Bird Meet with a runner-up finish on Thursday.

Junior Jack Kinzer led the Clippers placing third in 17:19.21 while junior Bowen Gryp was ninth in 17:47.22.

Solon sophomore Gabe placed eighth in 17:45.42 while Regina was led by freshman Joe Maly who placed 35th in 18:41.38.

Bob Brown Cross Country Classic

At Iowa City Kickers Soccer Park

Team scores – 1. Tipton 69; 2. Liberty High 73; 3. Clear Creek Amana 73; 4. Western Dubuque 75; 5. Marion 115; 6. Monticello 199; 7. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 207; 8. Calamus-Wheatland 230; 9. Solon 237; 10. Wilton 264; 11. Regina 297; 12. West Liberty 329; 13. Anamosa 352.

Liberty High – 3. Jack Kinzer 17:19.21; 9. Bowen Gryp 17:47.22; 18. Caleb Schillinger 18:00.48; 20. Peter Woodward 18:06.85; 23. Christian Montover 18:13.01; 43. Gavin Keeney 18:55.72; 53. Spencer Knight 19:27.64

Clear Creek Amana – 2. Brandon Barker 17:16.53; 7. Gavin Zillyette 17:36.78; 10. Jack Sexton 17:47.88; 15. Caleb Alcorn 17:53.59; 39. Payton Stadler 18:45.84; 49. Shiloh Robbins 19:14.01; 58. Daniel Henkle 19:56.35

Solon – 8. Gabe Hinman 17:45.42; 48. Ben DeValk 19:13.15; 56. Tyler Bilskie 19:49.48; 59. Oliver Burns 20:04.18; 66. Ty Becicka 20:35.1; 68. Gabe Yetley 20:43.26; 70. Nate Ferguson 20:49.42

Regina – 35. Joe Maly 18:41.38; 54. Dan Maley 19:27.87; 57. Ethan Boileau 19:52.72; 75. Andrew Miller 21:31.81; 76. Adam Boblenz 21:33.18; 80. Nicholas Abusada 22:29.68; 81. Evan Lacina 22:37.02

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by becoming a member.