Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – A rainy stretch has wreaked havoc on cross country schedules over the past several weeks across the state of Iowa.

With wet conditions forcing yet another possible cancellation for the Clear Creek Amana cross country team Clipper head coach Ben Robison had an idea.

What if the Clippers moved their regularly scheduled home meet to their actual home?

The initial reaction from his runners was all the motivation Robison needed to make his idea a reality.

“We’ve had some meets cancelled so we really had to work some things out and we were worried our home meet was going to get cancelled too,” Clear Creek Amana junior Carson Meskimen said. “We just got done running at Burlington (last week) and coach got us all huddled together and told us we were going to try to run this race at Kent Park and we all kind of lit up with excitement because this is home to us, we love it.”

On Monday, Meskimen and his Clipper teammates got an opportunity to run at their true home.

Clear Creek Amana moved its home meet usually held at Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City to Kent Stein Park just a few miles from Clear Creek Amana high school.

The Clippers took full advantage of the opportunity.

Meskimen won the individual title in a career-best time of 15:34.8 and Class 3A ninth-ranked Clear Creek Amana finished runner-up to fourth-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier at the Clipper Classic at Kent Stein Park outside Tiffin.

“It’s amazing,” Meskimen said. “This is one of the best facilities in the state to practice on, so it’s such a blessing to still have a meet go on, it’s amazing what we can do at this facility so it means a lot.”

Clear Creek Amana had three runners finish in the top five while finishing with 37 points, seven behind team champion Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Senior Mason Miller was third in a time of 16:23.3 and Kyle Vogel was fifth in 16:30.5 for the Clippers.

“It was a great opportunity to race here, when my mom was in high school Clear Creek used to race here so I thought it always be cool to race here,” Miller said. “It feels really nice running out here and create great memories out here.”

Quade Jensen finished 13^th in a time of 17:16.5 and Yao Tetevi was 15^th in 17:42.5 as Clear Creek Amana put five runners in the top 15.

“I love how close our boys are,” Robison said. “If we can get our spread under control just a little bit we are in great shape.”

Meskimen was the headliner for the Clippers.

In just his third race of the season the junior posted the top time of his career by nearly 30 seconds.

“Talking a lot to coach throughout the offseason we were kind of trying to ease into it but I am very pleased with where I am at right now,” Meskimen said. “I think my fitness is at a perfect level, I think by the time state rolls around I will be ready to go.”

Meskimen and Cedar Rapids Xavier junior Andrew Allen were nearly even for the first mile of the 5K race.

Over the final two miles Meskimen pulled away.

Allen finished runner-up in 15:49.2, more than 14 seconds behind Meskimen.

“At Burlington I went out a little quick the first mile so I was thinking I wanted to stay a little conservative to give me a little more juice at the end,” Meskimen said. “I saw Andrew Allen from Xavier going right with me and I loved it, great pace pusher and then once I hit the second mile I said it’s time to roll, time to go and finish this thing.”

The eighth-ranked Clear Creek Amana girls won the team title by a point over 2A top-ranked Mid-Prairie.

Sophomore Ali Seidl won the individual title in 18:27 while freshman Keira Cooney was third in 19:05.7 for Clear Creek Amana which finished with 36 points.

“The girls are just killing it,” Robinson said. “That’s a freshman and sophomore and junior and they are all just killing it.”

The winning time for Seidl was more than 28 seconds faster than runner-up Kendal Landstrum from Mid-Prairie.

“We obviously run here a lot so it was really pretty helpful to me. We did a 5K out here before and I ran sub-20 so I knew I was going to run a good time today,” Seidl said. “I think a lot of the girls were initially a little worried but we know this course better than anyone else so it gave us a good advantage.”

Keira Rosenberg was ninth for Clear Creek Amana in 20:02.4 while Holley Schulte finished 15^th in a time of 21:32.6.

Clipper Classic

At Kent Stein Park

Boys Results

Team scores – 1. Cedar Rapids Xavier 30; 2. Clear Creek Amana 37; 3. Columbus 83; 4. West Burlington/Notre Dame 85; 5. Mid-Prairie 156; 6. Sigourney 186; 7. Montezuma 195; 8. Coram Deo Academy 207; 9. Wapello 257

Individual leaders – 1. Carson Meskimen (CCA) 15:34.8; 2. Andrew Allen (CRX) 15:49.2; 3. Mason Miller (CCA) 16:23.3; 4. Cyrus Scheckel (CRX) 16:29.7; 5. Kyle Vogel (CCA) 16:30.5; 6. Jake Stineman (CRX) 16:33.5; 7. Matthew Oleson (WB/ND) 16:50.4; 8. Lance Mueggenberg (CRX) 16:52.6; 9. Leondre Ceant (COL) 17:00.6; 10. Sean Kelly (CRX) 17:02.2; 11. Cavin Denney (WB/ND) 17:02.3; 12. Kevin Villa (COL) 17:13.9; 13. Quade Jensen (CCA) 17:16.5; 14. Cole Klett (SIG) 17:41.4; 15. Yao Tetevi (CCA) 17:42.5

Clear Creek Amana – 1. Carson Meskimen 15:34.8; 3. Mason Miller 16:23.3; 5. Kyle Vogel 16:30.5; 13. Quade Jensen 17:16.5; 15. Yao Tetevi 17:42.5; 21. Ashur Whitmer 17:51.7; 22. Robert King 17:56.2

Girls Results

Team scores – 1. Clear Creek Amana 36; 2. Mid-Prairie 37; 3. Cedar Rapids Xavier 64; 4. Columbus 112; 5. Montezuma 131

Individual leaders – 1. Ali Seidl (CCA) 18:27; 2. Kendal Landstrum (M-P) 18:55.6; 3. Keira Cooney (CCA) 19:05.7; 4. Brooklyn Stutzman (M-P) 19:05.8; 5. Raleigh Barton (CRX) 19:40.5; 6. Lynleigh (CRX) 19:40.8; 7. Kaitlyn Kipp (WB/ND) 19:45.4; 8. Hannah Ritter (WB/ND) 19:47.3; 9. Keira Rosenberg (CCA) 20:02.4; 10. Rachel Hostetler (M-P) 20:08.1; 11. Tessa Brokaw (M-P) 20:59.8; 12. Nadia Keller (COL) 21:13.2; 13. Iris Garza (COL) 21:13.2; 14. Jaidy Bowman (WB/ND) 21:17.3; 15. Holley Schulte (CCA) 21:32.6

Clear Creek Amana – 1. Ali Seidl 18:27; 3. Keira Cooney 19:05.7; 9. Keira Rosenberg 20:02.4; 15. Holley Schulte 21:32.6; 16. Myka Slaymaker 21:37.3; 19. Maya Mcelliott 21:55.3; 21. Kadence Whitmer 22:28.1

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