City High Senior Washburn Finishes Runner-up at 4A State Cross Country Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
FORT DODGE – Ford Washburn came to the state cross country meet chasing a state title.
It took an all-time effort from one of the best in state history to stop Washburn from achieving that feat.
West Des Moines Dowling senior Jackson Heidesch repeated as the Class 4A state champion in a state record time of 14:56.66 to edge Washburn in a showdown of two of the state’s best distance runners on Saturday afternoon at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.
“I wanted to come out here and win it so it’s a little disappointing,” Washburn said. “I guess I can’t get too mad with second place.”
Washburn was runner-up in a time of 15:15.51, nearly 15 seconds in front of third-place Jaxson Plumb of Johnston.
It was the third consecutive top-10 finish for Washburn who finished fourth in 15:32.88 last season.
Washburn was stride for stride with Heidesch for more than two miles.
It was in the last half mile that Heidesch pulled away from Washburn.
“He just had a gear I wasn’t able to respond to in that last half mile,” Washburn said. “I just didn’t feel good.”
The pack was tight early with Plumb, Miles Wilson of Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Gabe Nash of Sioux City North all running at the front.
By the two mile mark it was a two-man race between Heidesch and Washburn.
“It was really tight,” Washburn said. “We went out really slow and I thought that would help for sure I just didn’t have it. At two, two and a half miles I just didn’t feel good and wasn’t able to stay with him.”
Washburn was still plenty good on Saturday while helping City High to a seventh-place team finish.
Behind Heidesch West Des Moines Dowling won a second consecutive 4A team title with 51 points.
Johnston was runner-up with 124 points while Ankeny was third with 158.
City High finished seventh with 195 behind Washburn while Ammon Smith was 22nd in 16:22.31 and Noah Carey was 49th in 16:41.17.
Liberty High got strong individual efforts from junior Aidan Decker and sophomore Noah Gregoire.
Decker finished 24th in 16:23.67 and Gregoire was 32nd in 16:29.74.
West High individual qualifier Moustafa Tiea placed 51st in 16:43.55 while teammate Seth Cheney was 69th in 17:00.37.
The City High girls placed 15th in the Class 4A race.
Sophomore Ani Wedmeyer led the Little Hawks with a 27th place finish in 19:38.5 and senior Iris Wedemeyer was 76th in 20:32.6.
Class 4A State Meet
Girls Results
Team scores – 1. Dubuque Hempstead 60; 2. Johnston 105; 3. Dubuque Senior 135; 4. Ankeny Centennial 151; 5. West Des Moines Valley 192; 6. Pleasant Valley 196; 7. Ankeny 200; 8. Waukee 210; 9. Ames 211; 10. West Des Moines Dowling 216; 11. Des Moines Roosevelt 222; 12. Linn-Mar 273; 13. Cedar Falls 283; 14. Southeast Polk 306; 15. City High 328
Individual leaders – 1. Adrienne Buettner-Cable (DMR) 17:41.24; 2. Olivia Verde (JON) 18:01.57; 3. Julia Gehl (DH) 18:03.2; 4. Addison Dorenkamp (WDV) 18:07.97; 5. Rondi Quass (AC) 18:15.69; 6. Abi Hahn (DMR) 18:21.87; 7. Claire Helmers (AME) 18:22.05; 8. Keelee Leitzen (DH) 18:30.59; 9. Marley Turk (AME) 18:32.41; 10. Brooke O’Brien (DH) 18:34.67; 11. Dylan Moeller (Davenport Central) 18:40.6; 12. Alyx Woodley (JON) 18:41.98; 13. Leah Klapatauskas (DS) 18:42.05; 14. Grace Boleyn (PV) 18:44.79; 15. Drew Beason (ANK) 18:48.64
City High (328) – 27. Ani Wedemeyer 19:38.5; 76. Iris Wedemeyer 20:32.6; 94. Nicole Peterson 20:56.58; 98. Nina Kuhlman 21:04.24; 100. Abigail Burns 21:04.58; 102. Nina Peterson 21:09.3; 115. Erin Andersson 21:49.68
Boys Results
Team scores – 1. West Des Moines Dowling 51; 2. Johnston 124; 3. Ankeny 158; 4. Norwalk 178; 5. Cedar Falls 179; 6. West Des Moines Valley 189; 7. City High 195; 8. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 201; 9. Pleasant Valley 207; 10. Southeast Polk 216; 11. Waukee Northwest 228; 12. Dubuque Hempstead 245; 13. Sioux City North 251; 14. Cedar Rapids Prairie 285; 15. Urbandale 307
Individual leaders – 1. Jackson Heidesch (WDD) 14:56.66; 2. Ford Washburn (ICH) 15:15.51; 3. Jaxson Plumb (JON) 15:30.43; 4. Jacob Mumey (PV) 15:31.99; 5. Flynn Milligan (WDD) 15:35.74; 6. Carson Owens (SEP) 15:39.18; 7. Miles Wilson (CRK) 15:41.52; 8. Gabe Nash (SCN) 15:43.92; 9. Jack Flori (WDD) 15:47.82; 10. John Maloney (DH) 15:55.2; 11. Ethan Zumer (ANK) 15:58.28; 12. AJ Schermerhorn (AC) 15:59.52; 13. Luke Knepp (PV) 16:00.46; 14. Max DeRocher (WDD) 16:01.9; 15. Donovan Card (NOR) 16:07.34
City High (195) – 2. Ford Washburn 15:15.51; 22. Ammon Smith 16:22.31; 49. Noah Carey 16:41.17; 73. Owyn Noble 17:03.67; 83. Ayman Noreldaim 17:17.07; 87. Braeden Marker 17:19.99; 117. Truman Thompson 18:34.73
West High – 51. Moustafa Tiea 16:43.55; 69. Seth Cheney 17:00.37
Liberty High – 24. Aidan Decker 16:23.67; 32. Noah Gregoire 16:29.74
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