Senior Noble Leads City High to Team Title at Bud Williams Invitational
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – Led by the likes of Ford Washburn, Truman Thompson and Ammon Smith the front of the City High pack was crowded last season.
With the graduation of six of its top seven runners from a year ago there was an obvious opening at the front of the pack this fall.
It has taken some time but the Little Hawks seem to have found their new leader in the form of senior Owyn Noble.
“I keep reminding Owyn ‘you are the big dog now, you are the one they are all following, you set the lead’,” City High coach Jayme Skay said. “At the beginning of the season it was a struggle because he was missing all those guys. He’s now the big dog and I think he’s coming along, he’s maturing and he’s understanding his responsibility.”
A third-place individual finish from Noble highlighted a spirited effort from City High on Thursday as the Little Hawks edged No. 18 Dubuque Senior by two points to win their own Bud Williams Invitational at Ashton Cross Country Course in Iowa City.
Noble led three Little Hawks in the top 15 on Thursday as Class 4A No. 14 City High finished with 62 points.
No. 19 Ankeny Centennial was third with 69 points followed by fifth-ranked Pleasant Valley with 77 points.
Class 3A tenth-ranked Clear Creek Amana was sixth with 165 points.
“We love the home meet, it’s definitely something we look forward to,” Noble said. “We always get a crazy crowd and it’s a lot of fun to run in front of all these people.”
Noble was the lone non-senior on the City High squad that finished seventh at the Class 4A state meet last fall.
With the departure of six varsity runners among 28 seniors from last year’s team Noble has seen his role change in his final season.
“It’s been hard without my main teammates from last year, they kind of pulled me up the last two years,” Noble said. “This year coach has told me that I need to be there and lift this really young crew up.”
On Thursday Noble showed he is capable of not only being a leader for City High but competing at the front of the pack.
Noble finished third in a time of 16:24.8, trailing only individual champion AJ Schermerhorn of Ankeny Centennial who won in 15:34.9 and Pleasant Valley’s Jack Perry who was runner-up in 16:18.54.
“I don’t focus on anyone before the person I can reach and touch, that’s what some teammates taught me a couple of years ago and it works,” Noble said. “When you are focusing on that guy up front nothing good is coming from it because you aren’t getting them until you are up with them.”
Sophomores Linus McRoberts and Max McDowell joined Noble in the top 15 on Thursday.
McRoberts finished ninth in a time of 16:42.09 and McDowell was 14th in 16:51.6.
Junior George Karr placed 17th in 16:52.78 and freshman David Randall was 10th in 16:53.36 for City High.
“We had to reload, we lost five guys to division one and they are all great kids,” Skay said. “It’s a nice surprise. We are getting better which is what we want.”
Brock Hilsman led Clear Creek Amana with a 21st place finish in a time of 16:55.76 while Isaac Sorensen placed 29th in 17:11.26.
Bud Williams Invitational
At Ashton Cross Country Course
Team scores – 1. City High 62; 2. Dubuque Senior 64; 3. Ankeny Centennial 69; 4. Pleasant Valley 77; 5. Cedar Rapids Prairie 94; 6. Clear Creek Amana 165; 7. Pekin 180; 8. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 259; 9. Liberty High 277; 10. Ottumwa 320; 11. Hillcrest Academy 344; 12. Durant 346
Individual leaders – 1. AJ Schermerhorn (AC) 15:34.9; 2. Jack Perry (PV) 16:18.54; 3. Owyn Noble (ICH) 16:24.8; 4. Brady McWhirter (PEK) 16:29.77; 5. Bennett Allred (CRP) 16:32.79; 6. Max Sorgenfrey (PV) 16:37.11; 7. Calvin Lueken (DS) 16:39.42; 8. Joe Knepp (PV) 16:39.65; 9. Linus McRoberts (ICH) 16:42.09; 10. Jacob Haug (DS) 16:42.54; 11. Jack Kirman (DS) 16:43.65; 12. Nick Lee (CRP) 16:49.51; 13. Brayden Vander Wilt (AC) 16:51.59; 14. Max McDowell (ICH) 16:51.6; 15. Cohen Moll (AC) 16:51.81
City High (62) – 3. Owyn Noble 16:24.8; 9. Linus McRoberts 16:42.09; 14. Max McDowell 16:51.6; 17. George Karr 16:52.78; 19. David Randall 16:53.36; 31. Adam Schaefer 17:23.01; 34. Jarris Prottsmann 17:27.21
Clear Creek Amana (165) – 21. Brock Hilsman 16:55.76; 29. Isaac Sorensen 17:11.26; 32. Thomas Stiltner 17:24.72; 38. Jamie Hayes 17:34.94; 45. Nicholas Schieltz 17:59.29; 48. Logan Kafer 18:16.08; 51. Jackson Van Horn 18:45.08
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