Regina Returns to State Meet For First Time Since 2015 With Title at State Qualifier
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – During a regular season schedule filled with meets against primarily larger opponents Regina had grown accustomed to being the David in coach Chad Swope’s David and Goliath speeches.
On Thursday it was Regina that was the giant.
Regina had five runners finish in the top 15 and cruised to the team title at the Class 1A state qualifier at Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City.
“We run such a tough schedule, the analogy our coaches used was we are used to being David in the David and Goliath story,” Regina sophomore Aiden O’Neil said. “Today we came out and we were Goliath for once.”
O’Neil won the individual title and junior Joe Maley was eighth as No. 11 Regina finished with 41 points to secure its first trip to the state meet since 2015.
No. 14 Columbus finished runner-up with 66 points to finish runner-up and earn the second qualifying spot at the 1A state meet October 30 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.
“I told them don’t be satisfied just getting there,” Swope said. “We aren’t done yet, we aren’t celebrating just getting to state we still have work to do.”
Regina regularly loads up its schedule with meets that feature larger schools.
The Regals didn’t rack up a lot of individual or team titles during the regular but they improved and on Thursday against an all Class 1A field the improvement was evident.
“We could pick a different schedule and win a lot of meets and feel pretty good about ourselves but I don’t think it challenges them and we really want to challenge them,” Swope said. “We really challenge our kids and it showed today.”
For years Regina was one of the premier small school programs in the state but it had been five seasons since the Regals had qualified for the state meet.
Regina was fifth out of six teams at the state qualifier a year ago.
“It had been a few years for Regina so it feels really good to be able to get back to state as a team,” Maley said. “It is something special for sure.”
O’Neil and Maley led the way for Regina but it was the depth that helped Regina return to state on Thursday.
Four teams had two runners in the top 10 on Thursday but Regina had three more runners in the top 14 to outdistance the rest of the field.
Senior Adam Boblenz was 12th overall in a time of 18:35.23 while Riordan Smith was 13th in 18:38.72 and Sam Welter was 14th in 18:53.78.
“I am just thrilled for them,” Swope said. “Adam Boblenz is a senior that has never been able to run at state. We had that long history of being at state and it would be easy to lean on that but you have to put in the work and they did that this year and they see the results of that hard work.”
As he has all season O’Neil led the Regals on Thursday.
The sophomore claimed the first individual title of his career, winning in 17:20.03.
“It’s a different feeling being ahead,” O’Neil said. “Usually, you have a whole pack to pace yourself and today it was just me and the gator.”
O’Neil was more than five seconds faster than runner-up Freddy Vergara from Columbus and his time of 17:20.03 was 30 seconds faster than his time on the same course at the River Valley Conference meet last week.
“It’s great especially for guys like Adam who has been here for four years and this is his first time making it to state,” O’Neil said. “It’s been rocky along the way but I’m excited we are all going to be going together.”
Maley finished eighth overall in a time of 18:27.53 taking more than 40 seconds off his time from the River Valley Conference meet.
“I felt really good today,” Maley said. “I felt super good when we warmed up, super good at the start and super good in the race. I just felt really good today.”
Class 1A State Qualifier
At Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City
Team scores – 1. Regina 41; 2. Columbus 66; 3. North Linn 86; 4. Winfield-Mount Union 138; 5. Montezuma 174; 6. English Valleys 175; 7. WACO 179; 8. BGM 180; 9. Fort Madison Holy Trinity 186; 10. Hillcrest Academy 205
Individual leaders – 1. Aiden O’Neil (ICR) 17:20.03; 2. Freddy Vergara (COL) 17:25.68; 3. Bryson Grove (EV) 17:41.14; 4. James Gruver (Lynnville-Sully) 17:57.77; 5. Gage Heyne (EV) 18:12.43; 6. Isaac Acosta (COL) 18:17.27; 7. Ryan Hopwood (BGM) 18:25.85; 8. Joe Maley (ICR) 18:27.53; 9. Gabe Hemsworth (W-MU) 18:29.14; 10. Zach Morningstar (Lynnville-Sully) 18:29.54; 11. Caleb Bildstein (NL) 18:33.86; 12. Adam Boblenz (ICR) 18:35.23; 13. Riordan Smith (ICR) 18:38.72; 14. Sam Welter (ICR) 18:53.78; 15. Ty Pflughaupt (NL) 19:05.11
Regina (41) – 1. Aiden O’Neil 17:20.03; 7. Joe Maley 18:27.53; 10. Adam Boblenz 18:35.23; 11. Riordan Smith 18:38.72; 14. Sam Welter 18:53.78; 18. Colin Olney 19:28.72; 23. Joe Polyak 19:33.08
Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.
