Regina Starts Late-season Surge With Runner-up Finish at River Valley Conference Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – It has taken some time for the Regina cross country team to come together but with the postseason just more than a week away the Regals are right where they want to be.
Class 1A fourth-ranked Regina got top-10 finishes from Samuel Welter and Ambrose Nuxoll on its way to a runner-up team finish at the River Valley Conference meet on Tuesday at Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City.
Welter was ninth and Nuxoll was 10th on Tuesday as Regina finished with 77 points, four back of Class 2A No. 14 Tipton which won the team title.
“I think Regina is just hitting its stride,” Nuxoll said. “I feel really good about our chances in the championship season.”
The defending Class 1A state champion, Regina will host a 1A state qualifying meet next Thursday.
Running on its home course on Tuesday Regina certainly looked like a team once again competing for a title.
Welter and Nuxoll led a group of four Regals that placed in the top 20 as Regina finished eighth “They are just running so determined,” Regina coach Chad Swope said. “These last few weeks have been incredible seeing their hard work pay off.”
A junior that was a member of last year’s state title team, Welter has been the consistent leader for Regina this season.
Welter was impressive again on Tuesday finishing ninth in a time of 17:56.
It has been a pair of newcomers that have provided a boost alongside Welter at the front of the Regina pack this season.
Nuxoll, a senior, joined the cross country team for the first time this season while sophomore Howie O’Rourke has excelled in his first full-time varsity season.
“Determined has been the best way to describe it for all the guys,” Swope said. “Howie, the difference from last year to this year has been incredible and Ambrose in his first time out he’s made a huge difference. Those two guys have really been incredible.”
Nuxoll continued his stellar season on Tuesday with a 10th place finish in a career-best time of 17:58 which was just two seconds behind Welter.
Mid-Prairie junior Emmett Swartzentruber won the individual title in 16:31 and Clay Bohlmann of Tipton was runner-up in 16:57.
“I run way faster when I am with other people so it really helps to have those other guys to pace you,” Nuxoll said. “I think the field made me a lot faster today.”
O’Rourke provided a big boost for Regina with a 17th place finish in a time of 18:26.
“We knew coming into this it was a hard conference,” O’Rourke said. “We just went out and ran our race and we are happy with the result.”
After spending last season outside of the top seven for Regina O’Rourke has become a strong front of pack runner for the Regals this fall.
Last year he wasn’t in the top 10 and he worked hard but the freshman year is always about experience,” Swope said. “We talked in the summer and he was determined and its like a light went on and he’s just gone with it.”
Regina had five finishers in the top 21 as Colin Olney finished 20th in 18:37 and Matt Takacs was 21st in 18:38.
River Valley Conference Meet
At Kicker Soccer Complex
Team scores – 1. Tipton 73; 2. Regina 77; 3. Mid-Prairie 85; 4. Monticello 90; 5. Anamosa 91; 6. Dyersville Beckman 148; 7. Bellevue 162; 8. Maquoketa 228; 9. Cascade 231; 10. Northeast 232; 11. West Liberty 332; 12. Wilton 336; 13. Durant 376
Individual leaders – 1. Emmett Swartzentruber (M-P) 16:31; 2. Clay Bohlmann (TIP) 16:57; 3. Payton Griebel (BEL) 17:08; 4. Preston Yutzy (M-P) 17:14; 5. Andrew Schlarmann (DB) 17:31; 6. Aedan Althoff (MON) 17:40; 7. Alex Oswald (MON) 17:49; 8. Caleb Bohlmann (TIP) 17:55; 9. Samuel Welter (ICR) 17:56; 10. Ambrose Nuxoll (ICR) 17:58; 11. Andrew Shumaker (TIP) 18:02; 12. Lane Cook (CAS) 18:08; 13. Carver Reiss (ANA) 18:18; 14. Jacob Schlarmann (DB) 18:19; 15. Seth Countryman (ANA) 18:19
Regina (77) – 9. Samuel Welter 17:56; 10. Ambrose Nuxoll 17:58; 17. Howie O’Rourke 18:26; 20. Colin Olney 18:37; 21. Matt Takacs 18:38; 29. Riordan Smith 19:03; 39. Quinn Warren 19:23
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