Hillcrest Academy hosted some of the area’s best on the cross country course Monday in their final home meet of the 2022 season. In the girls race, the Washington Demons had the top area team finish, standing second in the field of six teams with 42 points. The Pella Dutch took the team title with 24 points. Iris Dahl paced the Demons with a second place overall finish in 20:39. She spoke after the race about her run. “The goal today was to get second. The challenge on this course is the big hill at the beginning, just running up that, just to get it done, then back in the back there’s a gradual uphill and I just wanted to go really fast on that. Tonight felt great.”

Marissa Ferebee of Pella was the meet champ in 19:56. Other Demon runners included Quincy Giffis seventh, Angeline Anderson 10th, Alyvia Anderson 11th, Lauren Horak 12th, Isabella Lujan 16th, and Kendal Hinrichsen 19th.

No other teams posted overall scores but did have some quality individual performances with Ellie Yates leading Sigourney in 24th with a time of 23:37. Other Savages included Reanah Utterback 27th and Addison Yates 37th. Lone Tree’s Vivian Zaruba clocked in at 23:48 for 25th place. Hillcrest Academy’s Delaney Shaw was 43rd in 25:51.

In boys action, the Demons were also team runners-up with their score of 78. Pella was the team champion with 25 points. Top Washington finish came from Micah Rees in second with a time of 16:35. Chase Lauman of Pella was the individual champ in 16:31. Other Washington finishers included Lane Schrock 17th, Drew Horak 18th, Tyler Alderton 19th, Andrew Rees 27th, Kael Malichky 37th, and Sawyer Tschantz 41st.

No other area school had a team score. Sigourney had Troy Klett finish 26th in 18:54 and Dawson Meyer 53rd. Micah Gerber led the Ravens on their home course in 34th with a time of 19:40. Other Raven runners included Jesse Blossom 46th, Jeremiah Danker 58th and Kyle Neuschwander 60th. Keota’s Owen Morris was 54th in 22:50 and Lone Tree’s Jadin Grieser 57th in 24:18.