From cross country courses around southeast Iowa to the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course at the state meet in Fort Dodge, there are few names more quickly recognized in this era than the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks and the Hostetlers. At last weekend’s 2020 state cross country meet, the Golden Hawk girls captured their fourth consecutive team state championship in class 2A with the second best girls score recorded in the 5K era. At the same time, the Hawks have put together dominance at the team level, they have also seen a set of sisters perform at the highest level individually.
Part of the historic team score rested on the shoulders of freshman Danielle Hostetler. She raced past the field on Saturday in 19:08, to capture the class 2A individual state championship, making 2020 the fifth straight season one of the Hostetler sisters stood atop the individual podium. This amazing individual run began October 29th of 2016 when Anna Hostetler, eldest of the Hostetler sisters won the school’s first individual title in a time of 17:57 as a junior. In that race, in second place, was her younger sister Marie who finished second as a freshman. In 2017, that order would be reversed, still two sisters atop the standings but this time it was sophomore Marie winning the individual championship, the first of three straight for her, in a time of 17:51, while senior sister Anna was second, and the Golden Hawks captured their first ever team state title.
In 2018, it was again Marie Hostetler on top of the podium, winning her second individual title in 18:02 while the Hawks scored their second straight team state title. In 2019, it was a three-peat for both team and individual with the Golden Hawks winning their third straight overall, led by Marie Hostetler taking her third title in 17:58. At the 2020 meet, Mid-Prairie head coach Mark Hostetler, the sister’s dad, and his daughter Danielle, newest individual champion in the family talked about the race, her season, and joining her sisters in the family tradition. Coach Hostetler said “It was a rough race today because of the wind but overall we did well mentally and that was what you have to be concerned about. As far as Danielle, when she finished the second meet at Pella and couldn’t walk for a couple of days afterward because of her hip, I thought her season was over. I’m so glad she was able to come back and get through it.”
Danielle Hostetler added, “Today, I just tried to take it out a little easier because of the wind and then work my way up. After the race I was glad I was done, but I was worried about my teammates, I wanted them to do well. This is just amazing! I have been watching my sisters go up for the awards ceremony for so many years that I couldn’t wait until I could and now finally I can. I worked my hardest so that I could get here.”
No doubt, that exciting times still lie ahead for the Mid-Prairie program at the team and individual level.