Never let off the gas pedal
Hawk boys win first conference title; 4 qualify for all-WEC teams
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MIKE PETERSEN/SENTINEL-NEWS
The H-M-S boys won the program's first team title at the War Eagle Conference cross country meet at Paullina. Team members are, from left to right: Moises Gonzalez, Damian Dodge, Ryan Grotluschen, Aiden Bush, Easton Teal, Carter Dolphin, Blaine Finster and George Vargas. Dodge (seventh), Grotluschen (eighth) and Bush (10th) qualified for the all-conference team.
The boys' cross country team at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn has recorded some notable accomplishments in the past, including two individual all-conference champions. But prior to this season, H-M-S had never won a conference team title.
So history was made when the Hawk boys topped the team standings of the 2023 War Eagle Conference cross country meet on Oct. 10 at Paullina.
H-M-S finished first with 53 team points, out-distancing George-Little Rock/Central Lyon with 70 and Akron-Westfield and MMCRU with 73. Hinton scored 108 points and South O'Brien finished with 113.
"I am so proud of how our teams performed," Hawk coach Kirsten Taylor said. "We knew this season we could place high as a team at the conference meet, which kept our boys fiercely attacking workouts week in and week out. Our boys ran with such confidence and never let off of the gas pedal."
Another first-time accomplishment for H-M-S was having three boys finish among the Top 15. The 2023 all-WEC team members are juniors Damian Dodge, seventh, 20:03; Ryan Grotluschen, eighth, 20:04; and Aiden Bush, 10th, 20:09.
The other runners whose placements counted toward the team score were junior Blaine Finster, 23rd, 21:38; and freshman Easton Teal, 26th, 21:58.
"Easton ran an awesome PR on a day we needed him most," Taylor noted.
The H-M-S girls also had a good day at the meet. Senior Lexi Croatt qualified for the all-conference team for the second straight year, placing tenth with a time of 24:11.
"Lexi ran down her first mile hard, which set her up very well for the rest of her race. She passed multiple athletes around mile two," Taylor said.
MIKE PETERSEN/SENTINEL-NEWS
Damian Dodge runs to the finish line at the conference cross country meet. He was one of three Hawks to earn all-WEC honors.
Gracie Knobloch finished 16th, missing the all-conference team by one place. She ran a time of 25:22.
"Gracie ran a stellar race," Taylor noted. "Our girls finished greatly ahead of last year's stats at the WEC meet, and that is what I am the most pleased with."
The other runners for H-M-S were Jocelyn Abonce, 22nd, 26:45; Kamryn Ebel, 23rd, 27:04; and Clara Funk, 26th, 29:37.
Only three schools had enough girls' runners to record a team score. Hinton won the title with 24 points, G-LR/CL was second with 32 and H-M-S finished third with 77.
"Both teams left it all on the course, which is all that I asked of them. Good things resulted," Taylor said.
H-M-S's junior varsity competitors were Kamrynn Visser, 13th, 33:07; Carter Dolphin, second, 24:53; and Moises Gonzalez, third, 25:17.
