Senior Haley Hveem helped the third-ranked Ankeny Centennial girls’ cross country team to a fourth-place finish in the Rim Rock Farm Classic on Saturday at Lawrence, Kan. It was the highest finish by an Iowa team in five years.
Hveem placed 12th in a field of 179 runners. She posted a time of 18 minutes 46 seconds on the 5K course.
Hveem is eighth in the Class 4A individual rankings released today by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches.
Here is some inside info on Hveem:
Congratulations on an outstanding race at Rim Rock. Were you happy with your performance?
Yes, I was pretty content with my race.
Coach Eric Cogdill told me that the course there is very challenging with multiple sharp declines, a long ascent midway through and two late stair-stepper hills. Did you like running on that course, and which part did you find to be the most challenging?
Yes, I thought the course was really fun but also really challenging. I liked how different it was from every other course I have run on. The bridges and hills made it go by really fast. I definitely think the most challenging part was getting into my beginning position. I don’t always have the best starts, and I knew where I wanted to be so it was hard to get there. Once I was happy with that, Cog gave us a great race strategy on the hills which allowed me to continue to move forward in the race while others took more of a beating.
This was the first time that Centennial has competed in a meet out of state. Was it a good bonding experience for the girls?
It was absolutely a great bonding experience for our team. However, we already have created a very tight relationship with each other.
Did you have time to do any other activities, or was this strictly a business trip?
We spent most of our time focused on our race and the JV race, but we still know how to have fun wherever we go! We also got to have some good food and stopped for ice cream after our race, which was awesome!
You finished 28 seconds behind your teammate, Anika Mohrhauser, who placed seventh in the race and is No. 2 in this week’s Class 4A rankings. She appears to be a state title contender, so is it your goal to try to close the gap on her to improve your own position as well as helping the team?
Anika is a great role model and friend to have. It really helps me to kind of shadow her in races. I want us both to continue to get better in order to help our team. The fact that she is a contender for the state title is very well deserved. She is one of the most humble runners I have ever met, and I have always looked up to her because of her drive and love for running.
Your team is currently ranked third behind Pleasant Valley and defending Class 4A champion Johnston. Do you think your squad can contend for the crown?
I think we are placed about where we deserve to be. Pleasant Valley and Johnston both have really talented runners on their teams, and I know they will be hard to beat. However, I think everything depends on which teams have good days at state and which teams don’t. I’m excited to see where our team ends up!
Assuming your team makes it to state, what is your individual goal?
I have not necessarily thought about individual goals for myself. Last year I placed 69th at the state meet, and I know I have improved quite a bit. I would be SUPER excited if I could medal this year at state as a senior, but I don’t put that pressure on myself. I want to go out there, run hard, and be the best I possibly can be for my team while also making myself proud.
I know you have a twin brother. Are you guys competitive with each other?
My twin brother is awesome, but we are very different people. At a younger age we were more competitive with everything. However, I was the one who did better in school and he did better in sports. We don’t compare ourselves anymore, but he and my older brother definitely helped me work harder growing up.
I understand you’re planning to attend the University of Iowa. What are you going to study?
I do plan on attending the University of Iowa with a major in biology, possibly on the premed track.
Will you continue to run?
I will definitely continue to run as it has had so many great benefits in my life, but I don’t know what that means for me quite yet.