Seventh-ranked Regina Ready for Postseason After Strong Showing at Loaded River Valley Conference Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – Anyone that has followed Regina cross country over the years has seen this scenario play out.
Regina spends much of the regular season finishing in the middle of the pack at big meets filled mostly with larger schools.
Then after avoiding the 1A spotlight during the regular season the Regals take center stage late in the season.
Well don’t look now but here come the Regals. Again.
Regina posted a strong finish at a loaded River Valley Conference meet on Tuesday finishing fifth behind four ranked teams at Kickers Soccer Park in Iowa City.
“We obviously run against a bunch of bigger schools and that helps us prepare for this time of year,” Regina senior Alli Clark said. “If we can stick up with these teams we can stick up with the teams at our district.”
Sophomore Ruby Greving and Clark each finished in the top 25 on Tuesday as 1A seventh-ranked Regina finished with 144 to place behind four top-10 ranked teams.
Tuesday was just another in a long-list of challenge meets for Regina.
2A top-ranked Mid-Prairie won the team title with 49 points while 2A third-ranked Monticello was runner-up with 66 followed by 2A sixth-ranked Tipton with 96 and 1A sixth-ranked Dyersville Beckman with 100.
“Some coaches may look at that type of schedule as being defeating but it’s worked for us and we just keep going with it,” Swope said. “I think we come into these late meets with a lot of confidence.”
Regina certainly held its own against some of the best small school teams in the state on Tuesday.
The Regals finished 41 points in front of sixth-place Cascade which was led by individual champion Hallie Kelchen who won in 19:41.
Mid-Prairie senior Danielle Hostetler was runner-up in 19:59.
“We could schedule different meets and maybe win some and feel better but I’d rather challenge them and this year has been all about embracing the challenge and today with all these teams it was another challenge,” Swope said. “You have to embrace the competition.”
Greving led Regina on Tuesday, finishing 22nd in 21:45.
There wasn’t much separation between Greving and the seventh-place runner for the Regals, which was senior Keira Sickels who placed 38th.
“I think we ran really good today,” Clark said. “Our top five girls stayed with a couple of minutes of each other which is awesome. We always finish very close to each other and I think that really helps us.”
Clark finished 25th in a time of 21:50 while Ellie Johnson was 31st in 22:32 and Harper Erwin was right behind her in 32nd place in a time of 22:43.
Caitlyn Bell was 34th in 22:55 and Faith Boileau finished 37th in 23:04.
“Having all seven of us super close together really helps us push each other to always be chasing someone ahead of us,” Greving said. “It helps so much to run with a teammate and that pushes us as a team.”
River Valley Conference Meet
At Kicker Soccer Complex
Team scores – 1. Mid-Prairie 49; 2. Monticello 66; 3. Tipton 96; 4. Dyersville Beckman 100; 5. Regina 144; 6. Cascade 185; 7. Camanche 191; 8. Anamosa 196; 9. Maquoketa 236; 10. Bellevue 264; 11. Northeast 273
Individual leaders – 1. Hallie Kelchen (CAS) 19:41; 2. Danielle Hostetler (M-P) 19:59; 3. Maria Kruse (DB) 20:19; 4. Ava Remley (ANA) 20:25; 5. Marisa Kehoe (MON) 20:28; 6. Izzy Hardin (MAQ) 20:32; 7. Laura Owen (TIP) 20:38; 8. Greta Sieren (M-P) 20:44; 9. Peyton Ries (MON) 10:50; 10. Delany Homan (CAM) 20:52; 11. Abby Fleming (M-P) 20:52; 12. Brooklyn Stutzman (M-P) 20:54; 13. Alivia Edens (TIP) 20:54; 14. Leah Koehler (MON) 21:03; 15. Madelyn Reiter (DB) 21:05
Regina (144) – 22. Ruby Greving 21:45; 25. Alli Clark 21:50; 31. Ellie Johnson 22:32; 32. Harper Erwin 22:43; 34. Caitlyn Bell 22:55; 37. Faith Boileau 23:04; 38. Keira Sickels 23:10
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