Ankeny senior Isaiah Smith has qualified for Saturday’s state cross country meet in Fort Dodge. He placed fourth in a boys’ Class 4A district meet on Wednesday at Marshalltown with a time of 16 minutes 2 seconds.
Smith is a four-time state qualifier who placed 65th in Class 4A as a freshman, took 15th as a sophomore and then finished 37th in 2024. He helped the Hawks to back-to-back third-place finishes in 2022-23 and an eighth-place finish last year.
Here is some inside info on Smith:
How were the running conditions at Marshalltown, since there were some gusty winds and the temperatures were probably the coldest you’ve had this fall?
The conditions were good. We prepared for the worst, and we ended up getting pretty good weather. I honestly didn’t notice the temperature or the wind; I was just focused on the race.
I know you’re happy to be headed back to the state meet, but this will be your first trip to Fort Dodge without your teammates running alongside you. Is it kind of a bittersweet feeling?
Yeah, it’s great to know that I’ll be heading back, but that’s not the goal–just the first step along the way. I’ve had amazing teammates the past three years with me at state that have shown me how to prepare and what to expect so I don’t think that will affect me. It is unfortunate that the team didn’t make it; I would have loved to go with them, but it wasn’t our day.
Your team knew it would have to beat at least two of the four ranked squads in the field in order to earn a fifth straight trip to the state meet. Did you feel like that was an attainable goal?
Yes, there have been numerous times where an unranked team has gotten into the state meet, so it was definitely an attainable goal.
Cedar Falls’ Jaden Merrick pulled away from the field early in the 5K race and went on to win in 14:55, finishing 31 seconds ahead of Marshalltown’s Preston Johnson. Is that what you expected Merrick to do?
I really didn’t think too much about Merrick; he ran his race and I ran mine. I remember when he would race (former Ankeny star Ethan) Zuber that they would get out in front so I am not surprised he took it out like he did.
You missed the entire month of September due to a bad case of mononucleosis. Is that the sickest that you’ve ever been, and has it been difficult to regain your conditioning?
Yeah, mono was probably the most serious sickness I have had, but I recovered well and just had to take it a little slow getting back into it. Now it’s not even on my mind; it’s all in the past and I am focused on next week.
This was your fourth race since returning to the lineup, which included a seventh-place finish in the CIML Conference meet on Oct. 15 at Johnston. Do you feel like you are back to 100 percent now?
I would say there are no excuses for me. I am not going to let mono be an automatic excuse for this season, and I am going to give it everything I’ve got. I think I am back to normal, but I don’t think you can ever reach your true 100 percent.
You earned a spot on the awards podium as a sophomore in 2023. What would that mean to you to finish your high school cross country career with another podium finish?
Yes, my sophomore year was great when I was able to get 15th. Last year the race didn’t go how I wanted it to, so this year will be a redemption race. I know what I need to do–it’s just a matter of following through with it. It would mean a lot (to do that) and end my high school career on a good note.
Looking ahead to the state meet now, what is your goal for the race?
I want to place in the top 15 and get on the deck–and the more people I can beat, the better. I don’t care about the time whatsoever, but who I compete with and get some redemption after last year.
Merrick is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, and he showed why on Wednesday. Do you feel like he is clearly the runner to beat?
Yeah, Merrick is a great runner–I think that he will have some people hunting him down. I know last year at Marshalltown he beat Zuber, and I know Merrick was on (Ethan’s) mind for state so I’m sure there are people out there thinking about him. Anything can happen at state.
Do you think he’ll go out and set a fast pace like he did at Marshalltown?
Yeah, that’s the only way I’ve seen him run. I don’t think it will change at state.
I assume you’d like to run in college. Have you looked at any schools yet?
Yes, I have been on a couple visits and will make my decision here shortly.
