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Photo Courtesy of Lynnette Poll

The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls cross country teams are on their way to State in Fort Dodge next week after sprinting by the field at the Class 2A State Qualifier at Pella Christian High School. The Hawks are sending their full girls and boys squads to Kennedy Park after winning the team championships Thursday. The Golden Hawk girls posted a winning score of 29, running away from the second place Eagles on their home course with 86. Brooklyn Stutzman had the top finish for the Hawks as runner-up in 19:39, Alyssa Richman of Manson Northwest Webster won the meet in 19:19. Other Mid-Prairie runners included Rachel Hostetler sixth, Kendal Landstrum 15th, Tessa Brokaw 16th, Hannah Rodgers 18th, Dessa Poll 21st and Rebekah Wallington 70th.

Winning score for the Golden Hawk boys was 44, in front of Anamosa’s 74. Emmett Swartzentruber’s second place finish led in 16:25. Emerson Vokes of Grundy Center won the meet in 15:47. Other Golden Hawks included Preston Yutzy third, Jayse Yoder sixth, Max Swartzentruber 16th, Thomas Flynn 17th, Luke Brokaw 18th and Jesse Stultz 29th. Following the meet, Swartzentruber and Stutzman talked about the day.

Stutzman said, “This was really big. I feel like we have a completely different team from last year and we wanted to qualify, hopefully win, and get ready for State. We were coming in ranked No. 2 in the State but we said ‘never be too confident, never think that you’re for sure going’. We had to work hard for it and push hard.”

Swartzentruber continued, “This is absolutely fantastic. These boys are awesome. I’m so glad I’m on a team with them. This race was a climax to the season so far. Everybody ran phenomenal. I just love to see all these boys come across the finish line, know that we accomplished our goals, and we’re going to take it to State! We knew we had a good shot, but we still had to show up and go to work.”

With their performances Thursday, that makes it a decade straight that that Golden Hawk girls have qualified for Fort Dodge as a team, this is the fifth straight season the Mid-Prairie boys have earned a State team bid. Both teams of Hawks will run at the Class 2A State Championship meet Saturday, November 2nd at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge.