Senior Mac Leads Liberty High to Runner-up Finish at Trojan Earlybird Invitational
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – After an injury ended last season early for Cori Mac it had been a while since the Liberty High senior had run a cross country race.
However long it had been between her last race and Monday’s Trojan Earlybird Invitational it seemed like even longer to Mac.
“It felt really good to be back,” Mac said. “I haven’t run cross country in like two years now so it was super exciting.”
Mac didn’t look like a runner that had missed nearly an entire season on Monday.
She finished seventh in a strong field at the season-opening five-team meet at Ashton Cross Country Course in Iowa City.
“Cori had a great track season so it is one thing to try to draw on that track season when this is a whole different world,” Liberty High coach Tonya McDonough said. “She’s fine, she’s healthy, she is 100 percent and she will get there. This was a good start.”
After missing most of last season with an injury Mac had no expectations for her return on Monday.
Mac was solid in her return to the course finishing in a time of 21:10.8 behind a top six that featured three-time Class 2A champion Danielle Hostetler of Mid-Prairie and three runners-up from last year’s 4A state champion Dubuque Hempstead that placed in the top 20 at the state meet.
“I was just really unsure going into it, I had no idea how to pace, I hadn’t run a 5K in so long so I had no idea how it would go so I just tried to come in with an open mind,” Mac said. “I had no expectations, I really had no idea how fast I could go I just really tried to work hard and my goal was to not give up because three miles is a long time in your head.”
The seventh-place finish by Mac helped Liberty High to a runner-up team finish.
Second-ranked Dubuque Hempstead won the team title with 26 points followed by Liberty High with 54 and 2A top-ranked Mid-Prairie with 74.
“Mid-Prairie is a great team, we know what Hempstead is capable of, they are phenomenal, but Cori is going to be in there,” McDonough said. “She just needs a couple of races to get going again.”
Mac was one of five Liberty High runners to finish in the top 15 on Monday.
Sophomore Carleigh Maher finished 10th in a time of 22:04.3 in the first race of her career while junior Mimi Marquardt was 11th in 22:09.8.
“Carleigh Maher was a volleyball player last year that came out for track and kind of got the running bug during track season,” McDonough said. “We talked her into running cross country and had a fantastic summer and had a great race today.”
Junior Clara Welch finished 12th for the Lightning in 22:10 and senior Bridget Canton placed 14th in 22:17.2.
“Clara Welch has gotten a lot stronger, she grew into her body and she is going to have a great season too,” McDonough said. “The girls love each other and they are training hard and it’s going to be a lot of fun.
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
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