by Scott Watson
On Saturday, Aug. 27, the Clear Lake boys cross country team opened its season by winning the Iowa Falls-Alden/AGWSR Invitational over seven other teams. The Lions placed five boys in the top 10.
“We got our first look at the new boys cross country team after losing our entire top five from 2022 to graduation, and they showed they are ready to make their own mark,” said Head Coach Tyler Havens. “The boys got out well towards the front of the field and pulled away from most of the competition in the second half of the race.”
The Lions won the invitational with 25 points in a landslide decision over East Marshall who scored 55, Eagle Grove scored 91, Humboldt took fourth with 125 points, Dike-New Hartford placed fifth with 137, South Hardin had 152, Belmond-Klemme Clarion-Goldfield-Dows took seventh with 172 points, while IFA/AGWSR had 185.
“Perhaps our biggest unknown heading into the first competition is where we would find our number five. We found it in freshman Aiden Burtness who thoroughly impressed with a top 10 finish to start his high school career. Fellow freshman Gavin Roske and newcomer Luke Moore completed our top seven,” said Coach Havens.
A group of Lions placed close together at the front of the pack, taking four of the top six placings. Isaac Smith and Owen Smith placed second and third overall at the 18:56.5 and 19:02.8 marks.
Caleb Jones and Aiden Happen were close behind with times of 19:17.6 and 19:36.5, good for fourth and sixth place.
Burtness placed 10th overall with a time of 19:46.6, while Roske took 12th place at the 20:21.8 mark. Coming in 17th place was Moore with a time of 20:36.3. John Amos finished at 20:50.1, good for 20th place.
Also running for Clear Lake was Cade Paulsen who came in 22nd at 20:53.9. Weston Conway and Ethan Evelsizer placed 24th and 26th, respectively with times of 21:09.4 and 21:12.3. Kamden Smith and Daniel Steinborn finished neck-and-neck for 44th and 45th place at 22:10.5 and 22:13.8. In 60th and 61st place were Tyler Munn and Hudson Uetz with times of 23:49.6 and 23:49.7. CJ Varner took 70th with a time of 24:01.4. Ezra Zickefoose came in 77th with a time of 24:30.7. Lane Stroup took 81st place with a time of 24:54.1. Tyler Bailey placed 85th with a time of 25:17.1. Abraham Clark finished with a time of 26:13.8, good for 91st. Brody Morrow placed 93rd with a time of 27:14.0. Jackson Eden, Brian Lollar, and Reid Hartwig placed 95th, 96th, and 97th with times of 27:40.01, 27:56.5, and 29:00.6.
“This team is pretty young overall with just one senior in the top seven, but we have a group of boys that are hungry to succeed,” said Coach Havens.
