Regina Ready for Another Late-season Push Following Fifth-place Finish at RVC Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – For years the conference meet has been the spot in the season where Regina has hit its stride.
The Regals are ready to continue that tradition this fall.
Class 1A No. 12 Regina posted a strong finish at the River Valley Conference meet on Tuesday at Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City placing fifth with 130 points behind four ranked Class 2A opponents.
“We are in a fantastic spot,” Regina senior Mya Whitaker said. “We have a good solid seven and I am so proud of us and what we did and I’m excited to see what districts and state hold.”
Whitaker led a trio of top-25 finishers for Regina on Tuesday placing 12th in a time of 21:21.5 as the Regals placed fifth at the RVC Meet for the second consecutive season.
Last year the fifth-place RVC finish was followed a week later by a team title at the Class 1A state qualifying meet on the same course at the Kickers Soccer Complex.
This season the Whitaker-led Regals have a similar vision.
“I am excited to see what we are able to do coming into next week against all 1A teams,” Whitaker said. “I know that one of those top two spots are ours.”
Regina spent most of the season cutting its teeth against a challenge schedule consisting largely of meets filled with teams from larger classes.
The final of those meets was Tuesday as Regina placed behind 2A top-ranked Monticello which held off second-ranked Mid-Prairie by 12 points to win the team title.
2A eighth-ranked Tipton was third with 81 points and RVC newcomer and 2A No. 11 Dyersville Beckman was fourth with 108.
“All year long we try to encourage them and let them know they are doing great things while we are going against really good competition and I thought they ran a great race today,” Regina coach Chad Swope said. “I just really liked the way they competed today.”
Whitaker led Regina while freshmen Ruby Greving and Ruby Eastman added top-25 finishes.
Greving was 18th in 21:42.8 and Eastman was 25th in 22:07.5.
“I felt really strong until the last half mile,” Whitaker said. “I got a bad side cramp which I normally don’t get but I think it was the humidity because we just aren’t used to it but overall I felt pretty good.”
Senior Grace Gaarde was 40th for Regina in 23:32.5 and Ellie Johnson was 55th in 24:07.4.
“I feel great about this team, all of our girls, they are just such a great group,” Swope said. “They make it too easy for a coach. You show up and tell them what we are going to do and they are going to do it.”
The Regina boys placed third behind team champion Tipton and runner-up Monticello with 89 points.
Class 1A top-ranked Regina had four top-20 finishers led by Joe Maley who was 11th in 18:09. Henry Bottorff was 17th in 18:29.2, Samuel Welter was 19th in 8:31.5 and Dan Maley 20th in 18:32.8.
Regina junior standout Aiden O’Neil led the race in the final mile but didn’t finish.
Payton Griebel of Bellevue won the individual title in 16:49.8.
River Valley Conference Meet
At Kickers Soccer Complex
Team scores – 1. Monticello 57; 2. Mid-Prairie 69; 3. Tipton 81; 4. Dyersville Beckman 108; 5. Regina 130; 6. Cascade 144; 7. Northeast 156; 8. Anamosa 180; 9. Bellevue 222
Individual leaders – 1. Danielle Hostetler (M-P) 19:28.4; 2. Abby Fleming (M-P) 20:07.6; 3. Julia Mertz (DB) 20:30.8; 4. Emma Althoff (MON) 20:34.2; 5. Alivia Edens (TIP) 20:48.1; 6. Leah Koehler (MON) 20:55; 7. Ava Remley (ANA) 20:56.4; 8. Marisa Kehoe (MON) 21:04; 9. Cenady Soenksen (NE) 21:12.6; 10. Audra Coss (WIL) 21:15.3; 11. Madelyn Reiter (DB) 21:20.7; 12. Mya Whitaker (ICR) 21:21.5; 13. Hallie Kelchen (CAS) 21:21.7; 14. Laura Owen (TIP) 21:26; 15. Halle Recker (MON) 21:30.8
Regina (130) – 12. Mya Whitaker 21:21.5; 18. Ruby Greving 21:42.8; 25. Ruby Eastman 22:07.5; 40. Grace Gaarde 23:32.5; 55. Ellie Johnson 24:07.4; 62. Kate Klitgaard 24:28.6; 63. Faith Boileau 24:29.3
River Valley Conference Meet
At Kickers Soccer Complex
Team scores – 1. Tipton 56; 2. Monticello 68; 3. Regina 89; 4. Anamosa 94; 5. Bellevue 118; 6. Mid-Prairie 138; 7. Cascade 139; 8. Northeast 241; 9. Dyersville Beckman 283; 10. Wilton 297; 11. Maquoketa 319; 12. Camanche 350; 13. Durant 395; 14. West Liberty 401
Individual leaders – 1. Payton Griebel (BEL) 16:49.8; 2. Clay Bohlmann (TIP) 16:54.4; 3. Chesney Capron (MON) 17:30; 4. Ty Nichols (TIP) 17:37.1; 5. Maxson Fogg (TIP) 17:43.1; 6. Aiden Onken (BEL) 17:45.4; 7. Shea Keister (ANA) 17:51.8; 8. Preston Yutzy (M-P) 18:03.2; 9. Seth Countryman (ANA) 18:05.7; 10. Adam Knepper (CAS) 18:08.2; 11. Joe Maley (ICR) 18:09; 12. Caleb Bohlmann (TIP) 18:09.9; 13. Jacob Miller (MON) 18:16.4; 14. Deacon Duffe (WIL) 18:20.1; 15. Alex Oswald (MON) 18:22.3
Regina (89) – 11. Joe Maley 18:09; 17. Henry Bottorff 18:29.2; 19. Samuel Welter 18:31.5; 20. Dan Maley 18:32.8; 22. Riordan Smith 18:41.1; 38. Colin Olney 19:08.3; 51. Matt Takacs 19:36.4
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