Senior Gryp Back From Injury To Lead Liberty High at Bob Brown Classic
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – With the coronavirus cutting into social endeavors and a sore knee cutting into his training Bowen Gryp was looking for anything to do to keep busy this summer.
Working with his father on a new deck seemed like a good a quarantine activity.
The project turned out to be a big-time pain for Gryp.
“There were a bunch of boards in the driveway and I was running to my car at night with no socks on and just hit my toe one on of them,” Gryp explained.
The ‘freak accident’ as Gryp described his stumble in the driveway ended with a broken toe and few weeks in a walking boot.
Gryp left all of the injuries, the off-season frustration and most of the field behind him on Thursday at the season-opening Bob Brown Classic.
The senior raced to a runner-up finish at Kickers Soccer Park in Iowa City helping Liberty High roll to the team title at the 14-team meet that was divided into two races to allow for better distancing due to COVID-19 concerns.
Gryp finished behind only Tipton senior Caleb Schumaker who won the individual title in 16:46.2 and led a group of five Liberty High runners in the top 10.
“I felt alright,” Gryp said. “I’m not in top shape yet but I’m feeling good. My knee is feeling good and my toe is feeling good.”
Gryp had already missed some summer training with tendinitis in his knee before the broken toe caused him to rest another four weeks.
He looked healthy on Thursday finishing in 17:08.67 which was a little more than two seconds faster than teammate Christian Montover who was third in 17:10.83.
“I got injured during track so I was out most of the summer but our guys were working, every single day they were putting in miles,” Gryp said. “We have a great team coming back and the sky is the limit for this team.”
The 2-3 finish from Gryp and Montover helped Class 4A ninth-ranked Liberty High cruise to the team title with 30 points.
Class 3A No. 11 Mount Vernon-Lisbon was second with 125 points followed by 2A No. 4 Tipton with 125 and 3A No. 7 Solon with 126. Clear Creek Amana was seventh with 167 and Regina was 11th with 318.
Liberty High used its depth to widen the gap on the rest of the field.
The Lightning put all five runners in the top 10 with Calen Shillinger placing sixth, Jack Kinzer ninth and Gavin Keeney 10th.
“We train as a pack and we race as a pack, today I just happened to have a good day when Jack struggled with a cramp but normally him and Bowen push us,” Montover said. “Training as a team and actually functioning as one helps us more than just being a collective group of runners, it’s more than the sum of its parts.”
After reaching the state meet for the first time as a team last season Liberty High is after more this season.
“We are definitely looking for a podium finish at state,” Montover said. “I think that we are going to any normally successful team a run for their money this year.”
Clear Creek Amana senior Brandon Barker was seventh in a time of 17:35.71 while Solon senior Tyler Bilskie was 13th in 17:47.61.
Bob Brown Cross Country Classic
At Kickers Soccer Complex
Team scores – 1. Liberty High 30; 2. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 125; 3. Tipton 125; 4. Solon 126; 5. Marion 130; 6. Monticello 135; 7. Clear Creek Amana 167; 8. Western Dubuque 217; 9. Cascade 233; 10. Calamus-Wheatland 269; 11. Regina 318; 12. Anamosa 346; 13. Wilton 374; 14. North Cedar 421
Individual leaders – 1. Caleb Shumaker (TIP) 16:46.2; 2. Bowen Gryp (ICL) 17:08.67; 3. Christian Montover (ICL) 17:10.83; 4. Chase Knoche (C-W) 17:11.68; 5. Cade Messer (WD) 17:24.68; 6. Caleb Schillinger (ICL) 17:26.33; 7. Brandon Barker (CCA) 17:35.71; 8. Jedidiah Osgood (MAR) 17:37.8; 9. Jack Kinzer (ICL) 17:38.28; 10. Gavin Keeney (ICL) 17:39.46.
Liberty High (30) – 2. Bowen Gryp 17:08.67; 3. Christian Montover 17:10.83; 6. Caleb Schillinger 17:26.33; 9. Jack Kinzer 17:38.28; 10. Gavin Keeney 17:39.46; 12. Aidan Decker 17:47.4; 16. Jordan Robinson 18:00.93
Solon (126) – 13. Tyler Bilskie 17:47.61; 19. Ben DeValk 18:25.96; 22. Brick Kabela 18:29.69; 35. Michael Yeomans 19:08.14; 37. Ty Becicka 19:11.16; 46. Noelan Garbes 19:28.39; 47. Gabe Yetley 19:31.2
Clear Creek Amana (167) – 7. Brandon Barker 17:35.71; 20. Gavin Zillyette 18:27.46; 25. Peyton Stadler 18:51.74; 57. Tanner Tomas 19:51.56; 58. Cameron Kimm 20:14.25; 59. Jackson Schloss 20:18.19; 63. Michael Potter 20:32.45
Regina (318) – 54. Dan Maley 19:47.34; 55. Joe Maley 19:49.07; 66. Adam Boblenz 20:39.44; 68. Riordan Smith 20:43.45; 75. Jacob Barnett 21:25.01; 77. Joe Polyak 21:30.54; 78. Nicholas Abusada 21:38.08
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