Photo Courtesy of Hillcrest Academy Yearbook

Hillcrest Academy freshman cross country runner Marie Yoder burst on the scene in her first season for the maroon and black, immediately putting her name among the best in school history.

Yoder ran to a runner-up finish at the Southeast Iowa Superconference Championships at Central Lee earlier this fall. That placement ties the school record for best girls finish with Annette Gingerich who was second three times, 2003, 2005 and 2006.

After winning the state qualifier meet in Iowa City, Yoder showed what she could do on the biggest stage. She finished 13th at the state meet at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge in a new school record time of 19:41, breaking her own school record she had set earlier in the year at City High by nearly 40 seconds. The previous record had belonged to Raven great Leah Bontrager. Yoder’s All-State finish in the top 15 was the first for any Hillcrest girls runner since Annette Gingerich in 2004 and is the second highest finish in school history, trailing only Gingerich and her third place race in 2003.