Ankeny Christian Academy might need a bigger trophy case.
With the school’s volleyball team just a few days away from possibly winning a third consecutive Class 1A championship, the ACA boys’ cross country squad picked up its own hardware on Saturday.
The fifth-ranked Eagles raced to a runner-up finish in the Class 1A state meet at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. They scored a total of 132 points to edge No. 2 Woodbine by 12 points for the second-place trophy.
No. 1 Lake Mills captured the team crown with 88 points.
“It was a fun day for sure,” said ACA coach Nate Davis. “Class 1A was so deep this year with so many quality teams. We were thankful for the opportunity to be there and compete with them and grateful to have had a good day.”
Junior Alex Davis was the Eagles’ top finisher. He placed 18th in the 5K race with a time of 16 minutes 46 seconds.
ACA’s Cayden Fry took 45th in 17:23. Zachary Gardner placed 47th in 17:25, Charlie McLaughlin was 49th in 17:26, Thomas Hurst took 63rd in 17:35, Luke Reitsma was 105th in 18:16, and Drew Blakeslee finished 137th in 19:13.
Hurst, the lone senior in the Eagles’ lineup, set a personal record.
“We will certainly miss Thomas next year,” Davis said. “We talk every day about putting in a God pleasing effort with a God pleasing attitude, and he does so very consistently.”
Davis, Fry and Blakeslee also set personal records for the Eagles.
Gavin Grunhovd of North Iowa Buffalo Center won the boys’ race in a time of 15:57. Woodbine’s Gunner Wagner was second in 16:05.
ACA senior Campbelle Oshirak competed in the girls’ Class 1A race. She placed 69th in a time of 21:11.
“I’m very happy for and proud of my guys as well as Belle,” Davis said.