Cross Country Grand View Recap

ANKENY, Iowa – Results | With temperatures in the mid-sixties, an overcast day, and a course that was not of the tough variety, the Pioneers would line up once again against some of their conference foes including Baker, Benedictine, Grand View, Peru State, and Graceland at the Grand View Invitational. Along with a course and weather that could produce personal records, the competition gave a great aid in achieving that goal.

The Lady Pioneers of Bella Meili, Anna McKnight, Lana Smittick, Riley Filmore, Julia Swearengin, Josie McClung, and Kennedy Krotzinger lined up first. This was their first time to race a 6k course this season and their training had them ready to attack. They may have been a little anxious, but they were also ready for the challenge.

In the first mile, the Pioneers set the pace for all other teams with Meili and McKnight working together in the third and fourth places, while Smittick and Filmore held the sixth and seventh spots. Swearengin held down the 13th place to finish out the scoring as Krotzinger and McClung worked through the crowd in the thirty range. The Pioneers had a commanding lead over their conference rivals at this point. However, Baker and Benedictine, the top competitors, were known to be patient at the beginning and then move through the pack. There was plenty of time in the race for movement to occur, so would the Pioneers hold the opponents at bay?

By mile two, both Baker and Benedictine had started their climb in the ranks. The Pioneers still had three harriers in the top ten (Meili, McKnight, and Smittick), but Baker had sent out the cavalry with two in the top three. MNU finished their scoring with Filmore and Swearengin in 14th and 16th, respectively, to keep a cushion. Krotzinger held her position as McClung moved directly in behind her. However, as well as Baker raced through this section, they had dropped over thirty points to move within fourteen of MNU. Benedictine was still not a strong threat at this point.

The 5k marker proved to be the turning point for the Wildcats of Baker as they slipped past the Pioneers to grab a two point lead. Even so, the Pioneers were running very well as four of them cruised past the 5k with collegiate or personal bests. Meili, McKnight, and Smittick still occupied places in the top ten with Filmore and Swearengin in the top twenty. McClung had just started her surge and was pulling Krotzinger with her.

The final section of the race saw Baker hold off MNU but not without a fight. The top three Pioneers, Meili, McKnight, and Smittick, all set 6k personal bests, grabbing third, fifth, and eleventh places, respectively. Filmore and Swearengin finished within the top twenty, only two seconds apart. McClung did her part by moving in front of the fifth Baker athlete, driving the Wildcat score up as she took 23rd place. Krotzinger held steady throughout the race to claim a 6k personal best by close to 30 seconds.
The Pioneer men of Ray Kosgei, Aidan Scherman, Ken Morgan, Patrick Jacobs, Josiah Robinson, and Colin Baker toed the line for the final race of the day. Like the ladies, this was their first race of the season of the longer variety. The men's race was an 8k, which is roughly 5 miles. Like the ladies, their training had prepared them, but now they had to execute under race conditions.
 
If the first mile was any indicator, the Pioneers were ready to race. Kosgei and Scherman led all competitors across the mile marker with a one-two punch. Even so, Kosgei thought their opponents would get out quicker. Morgan was next as he flew past in the 12th spot with Jacobs only eight seconds back, but at 26th. For Jacobs, it was his first race of the season, trying to get back into race mode. Robinson was out a little more conservatively than his last race and seemed strong. Like Jacobs, this was Baker's first race of the season so he found a pack from Faith Baptist Bible college to help him keep pace. When compared to the top conference teams, the Wildcats of Baker and the Ravens of Benedictine, the Pioneers were in the thick of things. They currently had the lead over those conference foes at the mile. Like the ladies' race, both opposing teams were known to be patient runners, moving up as the race continued.

Mile 2 left the leaders of the race unfazed, as Kosgei and Scherman continued their punishment of their opponents. Morgan had slipped back in place a little but still was running strongly. Jacobs still looked smooth, but he too had lost a few places. Robinson, however, had moved up the pack to keep the Pioneers in contention. Baker was holding on well as he cruised past the two mile marker under the tree. Meanwhile, in the team scoring, the Wildcats had climbed through the ranks and appeared to be leading. The Ravens and Pioneers were battling for the next spot with only one point separating them.

5K into the race, Kosgei and Scherman showed no signs of slowing, as they continued to work together. DeShawn Burks from Hastings was doing his best to catch them, but the Pioneers would rage on. Morgan, too, continued to fight as he hit the 5k marker at a pace that could set him up for an 8k personal best. As mentioned before, Jacobs was in his first race of the year, but he was responding well as he passed two to help the Pioneers team scoring. In Robinson's first 8k, he continued to help the team as he got one more opponent by the 5k mark. For the team scoring, however, the Wildcats were pulling away with the Ravens chasing them closely. The Pioneers kept steady throughout the race. This meant the scoring had not changed much for them when their opponents moved, giving them a deficit to overcome in the last 3k of the race.

The final 3k saw Kosgei make a move and pull away from Scherman. It was a strong, confident move by Kosgei that gave him the spread he needed to take the individual title for the meet. This was his first collegiate cross country title. As Burks from Hastings continued to drive on Scherman, Scherman refused to give. While Scherman pushed to stay ahead of Burks, he also closed on Kosgei. When he crossed the finish line, Scherman claimed the runner-up spot, giving MNU the top two positions. Morgan stayed strong as he passed two to finish in the top twenty and move very close to a personal best in his first 8k of the season. Jacobs rounded out the Pioneers with a strong 3k finish, running a negative split. With the surge of both the Wildcats and Ravens in the middle of the race, the Wildcats and Ravens took the top two team honors.

With four 6k personal bests for the Lady Pioneers and an impressive top two finish in the men's division, the MNU Pioneers had a strong meet with a foreshadowing of things to come.