On Wednesday afternoon, the Hampton-Dumont-CAL and Iowa Falls-Alden boys and girls cross country teams hit the road south on I-35 to Ames to compete in a Class 3A state-qualifying meet at the Iowa State Cross Country Course.
Despite all runners missing out on state-qualifying times, many showed strong improvement and resilience in their final race of the season.
In the girls race, Iowa Falls-Alden’s Demi Beaubien placed 17th with a time of 19:54. After missing the conference meet due to illness, Beaubien said returning to competition in Ames gave her a renewed sense of motivation.
Demi Beaubien 1-10-22-25 “mentally good for me” (15 seconds)
MacKenzy Valley of Hampton-Dumont-CAL finished 27th with a personal record time of 20:39. After shaving nearly a minute off her previous best, Valley said the performance gives her confidence heading into next season.
Mackenzy Valley 1-10-22-25 “a part of” (16 seconds)
In the boys race, Iowa Falls-Alden’s Andrew Herrin led the Cadets with a time of 18:00.
While none of the athletes advanced to the state meet, both programs leave Ames encouraged by their progress and the experience gained competing against a deep and talented field.
The meet concludes the season for both teams. More interviews with runners and coaches can be found online at radioonthego.com.
