More Experienced Van Waning Shines in Sophomore Debut at Trojan Early Bird Invite
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – Kate Van Waning learned plenty during her first season of varsity cross country at West High last fall.
At the top of the list of lessons for Van Waning last season – the importance of training.
“I learned a lot last season about the importance of consistency in training,” Van Waning said. “That was definitely the number one thing.”
In her sophomore debut on Monday Van Waning showed off everything she had learned.
Van Waning finished sixth in a time of 20:56.4 in a strong field at the five-team Trojan Earlybird Invitational at Ashton Cross Country Course in Iowa City.
The sixth-place finish by Van Waning helped West High finish fourth as a team at its season-opening home meet.
“I felt good,” Van Waning said. “It definitely went by fast so it was pretty good.”
Three-time Class 2A state champion Danielle Hostetler of Mid-Prairie won the individual title in 19:40.3.
The Dubuque Hempstead trio of Keelee Leitzen, Julia Gehl and Evie Henneberry, which all finished in the top 18 at the Class 4A state meet last season, finished second, third and fourth respectively.
Van Waning was sixth behind Bettendorf senior Emily See.
“It’s hard to believe that she is the same girl that was here just a few months ago,” West High coach Mike Parker said of Van Waning. “The defending state champ is here from Mid-Prairie and Hempstead has some great individuals and Kate was right there behind them.”
Van Waning gained valuable varsity experience last season, coming on late in the year to lead West High at both the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet and Class 4A state qualifier.
Over the offseason Van Waning upped her training.
Not only did Van Waning up her offseason milage she upped the intensity.
“Number one was definitely my mentality and then more mileage,” Van Waning said. “But I worked on faster paces and pushing myself during training too and not just meets.”
That worked showed on Monday as Van Waning was one of six runners to clock a time under 21 minutes.
“She really did the work in the summer and for athletes when they do the work it changes everything,” Parker said. “There are a lot of athletes that could make that kind of transition they just aren’t doing the work and when someone like Kate does do the work that’s what you see.”
Defending 4A state champion and second-ranked Dubuque Hempstead won the team title with 26 points while Liberty High was runner-up with 54 points.
2A top-ranked Mid-Prairie was third with 74 followed by West High with 88 and Bettendorf with 102.
Senior Cindy Wang joined Van Waning in the top 15 for West High finishing 15th in 22:17.9.
Freshman Susanna Olson was 21st in 22:46.22 and junior Kalli Titus finished 22nd in 22:51.6.
“As a team we have to continue to do the work,” Parker said. “We had a couple of freshmen in there and Stella is new to us from Michigan so we have some new pieces that are already in our varsity that we didn’t have last year so we are looking forward to developing them over the season.”
West High finished fourth in the boys race with 91 points.
Class 4A eighth-ranked Dubuque Hempstead won the team title with 39 points followed by No. 18 Bettendorf with 59 points and Linn-Mar with 63.
Senior Michael Lee finished eighth in a time of 17:38.6 to lead West High while junior Brice Wahe was 17th in 18:01.9 and senior Robert Stong was 21st in 18:21.7.
“We are a little short-handed right now so we are running less people than we should,” West High coach Josh Kidman said. “We wanted to make today a little more of a time trial and we plan to open our season a little later than normal at full strength.”
Trojan Earlybird Invitational
At Ashton Cross Country Course
Team scores – 1. Dubuque Hempstead 26; 2. Liberty High 54; 3. Mid-Prairie 74; 4. West High 88; 5. Bettendorf 102
Individual leaders – 1. Danielle Hostetler (M-P) 19:40.3; 2. Keelee Leitzen (DH) 19:56.5; 3. Julia Gehl (DH) 20:38.7; 4. Evie Henneberry (DH) 20:43.9; 5. Emily See (BET) 20:49.4; 6. Kate Van Waning (ICW) 20:56.4; 7. Cori Mac (ICL) 21:10.8; 8. Mylee Lange (DH) 21:38.5; 9. Maggie Henneberry (DH) 21:40.4; 10. Carleigh Maher (ICL) 22:04.3; 11. Mimi Marquardt (ICL) 22:09.8; 12. Clara Welch (ICL) 22:10; 13. Natalie Leitzen (DH) 22:11.1; 14. Bridget Canton (ICL) 22:17.2; 15. Cindy Wang (ICW) 22:17.9
Liberty High (54) – 7. Cori Mac 21:10.8; 10. Carleigh Maher 22:04.3; 11. Mimi Marquardt 22:09.8; 12. Clara Welch 22:10; 14. Bridget Canton 22:17.2; 30. Emerson Adams 23:59.2; 33. Madelyn Johnson 24:17.3
West High (88) – 6. Kate Van Waning 20:56.4; 15. Cindy Wang 22:17.9; 21. Susanna Olson 22:46.2; 22. Kalli Titus 22:51.6; 24. Erinn Varga 23:15; 26. Stella Hunter 23:26.5; 29. Gabby Moniza 23:57.6
Boys Results
Team scores – 1. Dubuque Hempstead 39; 2. Bettendorf 59; 3. Linn-Mar 63; 4. West High 91; 5. Mid-Prairie 98
Individual leaders – 1. John Maloney (DH) 16:54.6; 2. Charlie Driscoll (DH) 17:06.6; 3. Emmett Swartzentruber (M-P) 17:12; 4. AJ Willey (BET) 17:26.3; 5. Riley Kuhn (L-M) 17:31.3; 6. Zack Johnson (DH) 17:36.3; 7. Kaidan Vanderweele (BET) 17:37; 8. Michael Lee (ICW) 17:38.6; 9. Owen Hanson (L-M) 17:38.6; 10. Ethan Boston (L-M) 17:45.6; 11. Ryan Heden (BET) 17:46; 12. Graedyn Morrissey (L-M) 17:47.8; 13. Chase Wakefield (BET) 17:48; 14. Owen Leitzen (DH) 17:51.3; 15. Jayse Yoder (M-P) 17:53.4
West High (91) – 8. Michael Lee 17:38.6; 17. Brice Wahe 18:10.9; 21. Robert Stong 18:21.7; 22. Sam Showers 18:26.2; 23. Cade Benson 18:29.6; 25. Maxwell Bruss 18:47.9; 30. Jack Eastvold 19:31.5
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