Washburn Switches Up Strategy Leads City High to Third Place Finish
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
FORT DODGE – When competing at the highest level planning for a race can be almost as important as running it.
The ability to adjust that plan on the run can be equally important.
City High sophomore Ford Washburn did all three of those things awfully well on Friday.
Washburn earned his second consecutive top-six finish at the Class 4A state cross country meet with a fourth-place finish on a cold and breezy morning at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.
“That’s not what I would have expected myself doing at the state meet,” Washburn said. “I didn’t think I was going to lead through two, two and a half miles so that was kind of crazy but I think it turned out really well. I’m proud of that race.”
The fourth-place finish from Washburn matched the best for a City High runner since Brook Price was fourth in 2012 and helped the Little Hawks to a third-place team finish.
West Des Moines Dowling won its third state title in the past four seasons finishing six-points in front of defending champion Sioux City North.
City High, which was eighth a year ago, finished third with 72 points.
It was the highest team finish for City High since the Little Hawks were runner-up in 2008.
“Last year coming back from some down years we got this group together and we did better than we thought and we had high expectations this year,” City High senior Elliot Dunwald said. “I think we progressed as a team this year, we won the last three meets and we were just trying to compete with those other schools and we came out third so we are happy with that.”
Washburn led a group of five Little Hawks to finish in the top 29 overall with his fourth-place finish.
The original plan for Washburn was to hang back early.
Instead the junior got out strong early and never backed off while finishing nearly 40 seconds faster than his state meet time from last year in 15:32.88.
“I thought I was going to try to stay around 10th or 15th but I ended up leading pretty much the entire way and then I didn’t have as much with a half mile to go,” Washburn said. “I made up for it with the kick I think. That was fun.”
Washburn led a pack that included West High senior Alex McKane and West Des Moines Dowling junior Jackson Heidesch for more than two miles.
In the final several hundred meters Heidesch made his move and won in 15:24.37.
McKane was second in 15:30.65 and Gabe Nash of Sioux City North was third in 15:32.74 just in front of Washburn who closed strong in the final 200 meters.
“I just felt good, I didn’t know where everybody was (at the start) it was weird,” Washburn said. “I’m glad I raced it like that. I’m happy with it, it was a good race.”
City High coach Jayme Skay praised Washburn’s ability to alter his plan on the fly after cool and windy conditions tossed a wrench in the plan for many runners.
“The wind today and the cold I think changed the race strategy for most everyone,” Skay said. “We told Ford before we have a plan but make sure you adjust as needed. I am very proud of Ford of how hard he works and the fact he went out and went for it today.”
Junior Ammon Smith joined Washburn on the award balcony collecting his first medal with an 11th place finish in a time of 16:06.13.
Dunnwald was 16th overall in a time of 16:14.95 while juniors Noah Carey and Truman Thompson placed 28th and 29th overall respectively.
“I was going to go out slower but got in the mix with that front pack a little bit,” Dunwald said. “I just competed with the dudes around me and I didn’t expect to run 16th place but I am very content with myself and our team today.”
Class 4A State Cross Country Meet
At Lakeside Golf Course
Team scores – 1. West Des Moines Dowling 56; 2. Sioux City North 62; 3. City High 72; 4. Johnston 140; 5. Cedar Falls 158; 6. Norwalk 179; 7. Dubuque Hempstead 196; 8. West High 200; 9. Pleasant Valley 241; 10. Waukee Northwest 254; 11. Urbandale 282; 12. Liberty High 293; 13. Ankeny 299; 14. Ankeny Centennial 307; 15. Cedar Rapids Prairie 333
Individual medalists – 1. Jackson Heidesch (WDD) 15:24.37; 2. Alex McKane (ICW) 15:30.65; 3. Gabe Nash (SCN) 15:32.88; 4. Ford Washburn (ICH) 15:32.88; 5. Will Lohr (SCN) 15:36.71; 6. Jaxson Plump (JON) 15:55.87; 7. Will Ryan (WDD) 15:57.15; 8. Natnael Kifle (SCN) 16:00.39; 9. Hayden Kuhn (Linn-Mar) 16:01.22; 10. Tyler Schwiezer (WDD) 16:06.01; 11. Ammon Smith (ICH) 16:06.13; 12. Brayden Burnett (CF) 16:10.73; 13. Ethan Eichhorn (Council Bluffs Lewis Central) 16:10.89; 14. Carson Owens (Southeast Polk) 16:12.29; 15. Derek Leicht (DH) 16:12.89
City High (72) – 4. Ford Washburn 15:32.88; 10. Ammon Smith 16:06.13; 13. Elliot Dunnwald 16:14.95; 22. Noah Carey 16:34.6; 23. Truman Thompson 16:35.14; 43. Sullivan Hall 16:56.7; 44. Parker Max 16:58.95
West High (200) – 2. Alex McKane 15:30.65; 19. Seth Cheney 16:31.86; 58. Caden Noeller 17:12.26; 60. Moustafa Tiea 17:13.54; 61. Michael Lee 17:14.83; 93. Asher Overholt 18:02.93; 99. Robert Stong 18:26.52
Liberty High (293) – 33. Aidan Decker 16:51.14; 41. Christian Montover 16:56.59; 67. Logan Nelson 17:23.12; 75. Jordan Robinson 17:28.13; 77. Ethan Keeney 17:32.68; 89. Noah Gregoire 17:47.36; 91. Gavin Keeney 17:56.25
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