The Lady Eagles traveled to Manly, Iowa for the Central Springs Invitational at the Pioneer Town & Country Club on Sept 22nd to compete in a meet comprised of schools from the West and East sides of the Top of Iowa Conference. The 2022 season has presented a solid level of competition within the TOI conference with several programs getting individuals or teams rated in class 1A and 2A.
The Eagles have entertained a solid schedule competing in 4 meets over the last 2 days. The result of a busy meet schedule build around weekly training routines provided benefits for the Eagles at the Central Springs Invitational. The team saw positive improvements in times and performances. The meet presented a great opportunity to run against 75% of the schools from the TOI conference at Manly. It provides a mini-TOI conference meet environment and lets you size yourself up against the same competition you will see in the middle of October at the conference meet. In the end goals are set and in the hands of the beholder, this meet lets you evaluate and adjust your training routine for the rest of the season.
Madi Axtell continues to be the top performer for the Lady Eagles as she was the first Eagle to cross the finish line in a time of 22:40.79and 18th place. Madi had a great 2nd mile put herself in position for a top 15 finish. Our race strategy held her back a little in the first mile but it showed her the potential she has for a great performance at the upcoming conference meet.
The 2nd runner for the Eagles was Savannah Gilbert finishing in 31st place. I challenge Savannah to get out faster and force herself to push the pace throughout the races. She has the ability to make a huge improvement over the next 3 weeks if she commits herself to that level of racing.
Payton Terwilliger was the 3rd Eagle to come across the finish line. We continue to tell Payton she has the ability and form to run so much faster, with a key element getting herself to believe in what she can do on the XC course. It will be interesting to see how Payton finishes the last 3 weeks of the season.
Jocelyn Gonzales continues to make great strides in her first year with the XC program. Jocelyn was the 4 th Eagle finisher, is beginning to understand the sport and seeing her ability to be a very competitive runner. Jocelyn brings a smile to every practice and it’s a pleasure to see her develop within the sport. I know she will continue to build a competitive base and really improve her times over the remainder of the season.
The final runner for the Eagles was Lesley Mendez. Lesley had a great first mile taking herself out of her comfort zone which was great to see as this allows the runner to see that she can improve her stride, turnover, and race performances.
I am proud of the effort this group of competitors has shown over the last 2 weeks during a very busy schedule. As a team we will continue to train with pride and determination over the next 3 weeks transitioning to the conference and state qualifying meet.
The Lady Eagles took 8th place overall in the Central Springs Invitational. Next they'll host the Dick Bell Invitational on October 4th at the Eagle Grove Country Club.
