Team Effort Leads Clear Creek Amana Back to State Cross Country Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
MANCHESTER – In eight seasons leading the Clear Creek Amana boys cross country program Ben Robison has led the Clippers to state five times.
Robison has a state runner-up finish in that eight-year stretch, he’s coached multiple individual state medalist and learned a lot about what makes a successful program.
At the top of list of lessons Robison has learned during his coach tenure is that team always trumps individuals.
“The longer I coach the more I believe that there is a much bigger emphasis on the team than individuals and I truly believe now that state is a team event,” Robison said. “That’s what we do, we are a team kind of team. We are built on being a team.”
It was a total team effort on Wednesday that has the Clippers headed to Fort Dodge for the first time since 2019.
Clear Creek Amana had four runners finish in the top 26 on Wednesday and secured a spot at the state meet with a third-place finish at the Class 3A state qualifier at Hart Ridge Golf Course in Manchester.
“My teams have always been second half of the season racers, we’ve set our schedule up to run hard in the front and we’ve been training so smart the last few weeks and not getting out ahead of ourselves,” Robison said. “We knew what we had to do when we came in, we had a game plan for a week and a half and they executed it perfectly.”
Fifth-ranked Marion won the team title with 52 points while No. 10 Solon was second with 79 points.
Clear Creek Amana secured its fifth trip to state in the last seven seasons and first since it’s runner-up finish in 2019 by finishing third with 91 points.
“Midseason I feel like is when we started to really go,” sophomore Brock Hilsman said. “We were kind of on the edge of the rankings and we had a few good races. Midseason is kind of when we took off.”
Hilsman led the way for Clear Creek Amana finishing third in a time of 16:39.63.
He trailed only top-ranked individual champion Jedidiah Osgood of Marion who won in 15:33.94 and runner-up Cooper Cook of Marion who finished in 16:37.77.
“The first half was good, I knew if I could just push through the second mile I knew I could do the rest,” Hilsman said. “That second mile is the toughest.”
Hilsman held off Eli Page of Vinton-Shellsburg to place third, finishing less than half a second in front of Page.
“Coach isn’t a big speech guy but he believes in the science,” Hilsman said. “We just trusted the process and kept pushing.”
While Hilsman led the way it was a true team effort from the Clippers.
Sophomore Isaac Sorensen finished 13th in a time of 17:11.9 in his state qualifying meet debut.
“Isaac ran out of his mind, I thought he’d be our four guy and he was our two and picked up some slack that we needed,” Robison said. “Beautiful. Just beautiful.”
A football player a year ago, Sorensen came up big for the Clippers on Wednesday.
“Freshman year track and I had a really good year and I wanted to get way better so I felt cross country would help me,” Sorensen said. “I trusted coaches’ training plan and I knew I was going to have a great race.”
Senior Peyton Stadler finished 22nd for Clear Creek Amana in 17:25.32.
Juniors Jamie Hayes and Thomas Stiltner 17:30.8 finished 26th and 27th respectively.
“It feels really good for our team to get back,” Sorensen said. “That’s what our goal is.”
Class 3A State Qualifier
At Hart Ridge Golf Course
Team scores – 1. Marion 52; 2. Solon 79; 3. Clear Creek Amana 91; 4. Vinton-Shellsburg 132; 5. Decorah 142; 6. Waverly-Shell Rock 167; 7. Charles City 169; 8. Clear Lake 170; 9. Dubuque Wahlert 198; 10. West Delaware 251; 11. Cedar Rapids Xavier 274; 12. Independence 383; 13. Hampton-Dumont-CAL 408
Individual Leaders – 1. Jedidiah Osgood (MAR) 15:33.94; 2. Cooper Cook (MAR) 16:37.77; 3. Brock Hilsman (CCA) 16:39.63; 4. Eli Page (V-S) 16:39.94; 5. Elijah Blix (V-S) 16:44.96; 6. Mike Yeomans (SOL) 16:46.58; 7. Jack Crane (CL) 16:48.08; 8. Caleb Hoins (W-SR) 16:52; 9. Xander Graeser (CC) 16:52.6; 10. Nick Williams (CC) 17:01.94; 11. Brick Kabela (SOL) 17:09.42; 12. Kyle Powers (DW) 17:10.77; 13. Isaac Sorensen (CCA) 17:11.9; 14. Jayden Brookins (DW) 17:12.91; 15. Jordan Fischer (MAR) 17:12.92
Solon (79) – 6. Mike Yeomans 16:46.58; 11. Brick Kabela 17:09.42; 17. Grant Bumsted 17:17.48; 20. Lawsin Sinwell 17:23.92; 25. Evan Burg 17:29.77; 37. Wyatt Applegarth 17:55.66; 53. Camden Lyons 18:24.66
Clear Creek Amana (91) – 3. Brock Hilsman 16:39.63; 13. Isaac Sorensen 17:11.9; 22. Peyton Stadler 17:25.32; 26. Jamie Hayes 17:30.67; 27. Thomas Stiltner 17:30.8; 39. Cameron Kimm 17:58; 49. Logan Kafer 18:20.15
Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.
