MANCHESTER — Eli Larson prefers the quiet life.
“I like it when we’re under the radar,” said Larson, a junior member of the Center Point-Urbana boys’ cross country team. “Last year, nobody was talking much about us and we went and got third (at the state meet).
“We hope to do that again.”
CPU’s top trio is anything but anonymous.
Larson, Luke Post and Mason Bach finished second, third and fourth to lead the Stormin’ Pointers to the boys’ team title at Tuesday’s West Delaware Invitational at Hart Ridge Golf Course.
“It helps to have each other to push each other,” Larson said. “It makes us one of the best teams in the state, and it pulls the other guys along, too.”
The Stormin’ Pointers, ranked No. 6 in Class 3A, edged No. 2 Tipton, 84-87, for the crown. Mount Vernon-Lisbon (104 points), Waverly-Shell Rock (131) and West Delaware (155) rounded out the top five.
Tipton’s Caleb Shumaker ran to the front early and stayed there throughout. The senior was clocked in 16:14. Then it was Larson (16:19), Post (16:21) and Bach (17:06).
“It was nice to have somebody to run with,” Shumaker said. “Lately, it seemed like a lot of the meets were like practice. They helped set the pace early in the race.”
After Shumaker had taken the lead, he let his ears monitor the whereabouts of his closest challengers.
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“I was trying to judge where they were by the crowd noise,” he said. “By the second mile, I couldn’t hear them as well.”
Led by the Klein sisters, Western Dubuque captured the girls’ title with 58 points. Tipton was second with 83, followed by Mount Vernon-Lisbon (89), Center Point-Urbana (92) and Waverly-Shell Rock (107).
Waverly-Shell Rock’s Emma Hoines was the leader from early in the race until the end, winning in 19:31. Alyssa Klein was second in 19:57, followed eight seconds later by older sister Lauren Klein.
Alyssa is a freshman, Lauren a senior.
“Lauren’s a good competitor. We go back and forth,” Alyssa said. “She has helped me a lot. She pushes me a lot in practice.”
All five of the Bobcats’ scorers finished in the top 25.
CPU’s Kora Katcher and Kay Fett were fourth and sixth; Mount Vernon-Lisbon’s Lauren Swart and Anna Hoffman were fifth and seventh.
WEST DELAWARE CROSS COUNTRY INVITATIONAL
At Manchester
GIRLS RESULTS
Teams — 1. Western Dubuque 58, 2. Tipton 83, 3. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 89, 4. Center Point-Urbana 92, 5. Waverly-Shell Rock 107, 6. North Fayette Valley 183, 7. Anamosa 196, 8. Cascade 243, 9. West Delaware 255, 10. Dyersville Beckman 264, 11. Oelwein 275, 12. C.R. Xavier 281, 13. Independence 294, 14. Vinton-Shellsburg 349.
Individuals — 1. Emma Heins (WSR), 19:31; 2. Alyssa Klein (WDbq), 19:57; 3. Lauren Klein (WDbq), 20:05; 4. Kora Katcher (CPU), 20:06; 5. Laura Swart (MVL), 20:11; 6. Kay Fett (CPU), 20:22; 7. Anna Hoffman (MVL), 20:50; 8. Sydney Bochmann (WSR), 20:53; 9. Kallie Wallick (Tipton), 20:53; 10. Audrey Biermann (WDbq), 20:56.
C.R. Xavier — 42. Lizzy Schmitt, 23:04; 44. Abby Horstmann, 23:22; 65. Hope Schulte, 24:22; 77. Eden Campbell, 25:57; 80. Faith Karl, 26:04.
Isaac Newton Christian Academy — 92. Mary Fisher, 27:33; 96. Breanna Holt, 28:30.
BOYS RESULTS
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Teams — 1. Center Point-Urbana 84, 2. Tipton 87, 3. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 104, 4. Waverly-Shell Rock 131, 5. West Delaware 147, 6. Western Dubuque 155, 7. Maquoketa Valley 184, 8. North Fayette Valley 216, 9. Anamosa 233, 10. C.R. Xavier 234, 11. Cascade 257, 12. Oelwein 318, 13. Vinton-Shellsburg 339, 14. Isaac Newton Christian Academy 357, 15. Alburnett 421, 16. Dyersville Beckman 453, 17. Independence 489.
Individuals — 1. Caleb Shumaker (Tipton), 16:14; 2. Eli Larson (CPU), 16:19; 3. Luke Post (CPU), 16:22; 4. Mason Bach (CPU), 17:06; 5. Cade Messer (WDbq), 17:07; 6. Cody Bohlmann (Tipton), 17:12; 7. Zach Fall (MVL), 17:18; 8. Eli Naumann (WDbq), 17:23; 9. Nolan Ries (MaqV), 17:27; 10. Ty Nichols (Tipton), 17:30.
C.R. Xavier — 25. Randall Kinner, 18:05; 49. Bryor Hansel, 19:00; 50. Lucas Lowder, 19:01; 52. Brady Horstmann, 19:04; 58. John Trotta, 19:14.
Isaac Newton Christian Academy — 18. Abdisa Ali, 17:52; 65. Drew Grimm, 19:39; 75. Caleb Skinner, 19:53; 101. Jack Kendall, 21:14; 112. Marcus Seelau, 21:55.
Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com