The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk cross country program left their mark as one of the best to ever do it in the state of Iowa Saturday at the state meet at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge. The Mid-Prairie girls won their fifth consecutive class 2A team title with a sparkling score of 50 points, the second lowest 2A score ever recorded in the four class era. Second place Denver had 111 points. The championship for Mid-Prairie gives them five titles overall for their program, making them the 11th school to reach that mark in Iowa history. The streak of five straight, ties the longest streak in Iowa history, matching Iowa City, City High from 1989 to 1993 and Des Moines Dowling Catholic from 2003-2007. No team has ever won six straight.
Individually, the Mid-Prairie title streak continued as well. Danielle Hostetler raced past the field in a time of 18:27, the seventh fastest time in 2A history, to win her second individual championship in a row. That championship made it six straight years that a Hostetler was the individual 2A champ with Danielle winning in 2020, Marie in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and Anna being in the first in 2016. Other finishers for the Golden Hawks included Sydney Yoder seventh, Jaden Yoder 13th, Mitzi Evans 16th, Abby Fleming 21st, Phoebe Shetler 29th and Annika Poll 80th. After their race, seniors Sydney Yoder, Jaden Yoder, Mitzi Evans and individual champion Danielle Hostetler talked about the titles. Hostetler said “My goal was to win and give it all I had. I started out a little slower to make sure that I didn’t get too tired out. I knew I could pass them so I just settled into my pace. At one point I was getting a little discouraged and tired, and I was like, you know, I think Anna and Marie wouldn’t be discouraged and tired right here so I’m just going to keep going. It feels amazing, I’m so glad to carry on the family legacy, and the team championship. I’m so proud of everyone of my teammates.”
Sydney and Jaden Yoder said “It was great, it was nice to know. To accomplish that goal. Like okay we did it, now we can go celebrate. It was so awesome. All glory to God today. That’s why we run.”
Mitzi Evans added “It was a relief when I crossed the finish line. The last 30 seconds of the race today I felt like I was going to explode. This feels really good. I’m really thankful. It is kind of bittersweet because this is my senior year, so it’s kind of over, but we’ll still be together this spring during track.”
The Golden Hawk boys finished sixth in 2A team race for the second straight year. Tipton won the championship with 60 points. Top finish for the Mid-Prairie boys came from Thaddeus Shetler who claimed an all-state spot in 14th with a time of 16:55. Other Mid-Prairie finishers included Emmett Swartzentruber 35th, Chandler Hershberger 42nd, Preston Yutzy 72nd, Jayse Yoder 100th, Nathan Wallington 116th and Robert Nagy 128th.