It took a team effort for the Ankeny Centennial girls’ cross country squad to make some history.
The second-ranked Jaguars placed three runners in the top 15 and had two more in the top 40 to earn a runner-up trophy in the Class 4A state meet on Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. It was the highest finish in program history, surpassing a third-place effort in 2020.
“One of our messages to the girls all week was that state was another race to show up and be themselves; that they were battle-tested all season long, and had raced strong and consistent every time,” said Centennial coach Eric Cogdill. “So, they didn’t need anything special at state, just stay true to themselves and run their race plans to the best of their ability on that day. Our plan has been similar since 2020, and that has led to seven straight top-10 finishes.”
Third-ranked Cedar Falls captured the Class 4A crown behind individual champion Charlee Gall. The Tigers placed four runners in the top 25 and finished with 96 points.
Centennial edged No. 1 Waukee Northwest, the defending champion, and No. 6 Pleasant Valley for second place. The Jaguars scored a school-record 101 points, finishing one point ahead of Northwest and two ahead of the Spartans.
“I knew it was going to be a very tight five-team battle. Johnston didn’t have the day they were capable of, which took it to the four teams separated by seven points,” Cogdill said. “It was such an honor to get to compete with such great opponents and coaching friends who genuinely support one another and want each of our teams to be their best. Congrats to Cedar Falls and its first-year coach, Scott Gall, on their victory.”
The second-ranked Gall was in fourth place at the 2-mile mark, but then pulled away from the field to win the 5k race in a time of 17 minutes 13 seconds. She finished 17 seconds ahead of the runner-up, No. 5 Maddie Millage of Pleasant Valley.
Centennial was led by No. 8 Natalie Cogdill, who placed 10th in a time of 18:13.1. The sophomore was in sixth place after running the opening mile in 5:37.3, then remained in sixth following a split of 5:43.6 on the second mile.
“Admittedly, I was a little sad with my individual result,” Natalie said. “I put a ton of pressure on myself to place higher, but in the end a 10th-place finish versus something like seventh place isn’t a huge deal. I’m honestly shocked I finished so well considering my body was completely spent during the last mile. I really had to lean on the mental focus that I’ve been trying to develop this season, and individually that’s what I’m most proud of.
“By the time the race started, the hours of stress and anxiety had already left me feeling mentally and physically exhausted, but having my friends there to carry me when things got tough really helped,” she added.
After placing 31st as a freshman, the coach’s daughter was determined to become better.
“We have a long history of girls choosing months beforehand to fully commit to transforming themselves into a special athlete,” coach Cogdill said. “Natalie made that choice last November much like Ellie (Blevins) had the May before that and many others had before them. It’s such a gift to have a chain of girls that the next class can look up to, aspire to reach, and see that they too had humble beginnings and became elite. Centennial now has five girls at 18:15 or faster at the state meet, matching Johnston for the most while no other school has more than three.”
Cogdill was followed closely by teammates Rebecca Flick and Blevins, who both earned all-state honors for the second time. The No. 11 Flick, a sophomore, placed 13th in 18:27.6, moving up one spot from a year ago.
“That was such a special moment for three girls that I have worked with for four years!” Cogdill said. “We’ve been building (to have three all-staters) for years and finally held off graduation long enough to make it happen. I’m so proud of Natalie and Rebecca being able to work together all year long, grow as teammates sharing the spotlight, and celebrating team success. As for Ellie, what a truly special career. She’s going to have an immediate impact at her next school from a culture and competitive standpoint. She shows up in big moments, works behind the scenes for her teammates, and earned a storybook ending.”
The No. 16 Blevins, the lone senior in Centennial’s lineup, placed 14th in 18:35.9. She had finished eighth a year ago.
“The race went pretty well for me,” said Blevins, who committed this weekend to run for Northern Iowa next year. “I stuck around 16th the whole way through, knowing I have a strong kick to finish and catch a few girls. My fitness isn’t quite where I want it to be or close to where I was last year due to small injury stuff throughout the season, but I knew that if I really wanted a medal it was within reach. Overall, I am super excited with how our team finished, and I have high hopes for each of them next fall!”
Centennial was in sixth place with 160 points after the opening mile, then moved up to fifth with 132 after the second mile. But the Jaguars still had a lot of ground to make up against Northwest, which had 85 points and led Cedar Falls by 10 points at the 2-mile mark.
“I told our girls there was nothing we could do about the heavy pre-race favorite, Northwest, as I know they felt pressure to chase them,” Cogdill said. “Fortunately, we didn’t force anything. For our girls, I had placed names on their pre-race note card plans of two Cedar Falls girls, a Pleasant Valley girl and a Johnston girl that if our chase pack could beat, then I believed we would secure second as a team. And, they beat each of those girls. Also, Northwest faltered when their eighth grade runner (Elly Stubbendeck) ran out of gas in the third mile. She was 15th at the mile, 18th at the 2, and finished 87th. That opened the door to a team title for all four teams.”
Centennial’s late rally was fueled by sophomore Sammi Maile and junior Trinity Klingensmith. Maile placed 35th for the second straight year with a time of 19:13.9, while Klingensmith took 40th in 19:19.9.
Both runners moved up 22 spots in the final 1.1 miles.
“The plan was to start out conservative and make our way up, but not to be as far back as we were at mile 2,” said Klingensmith, who was the top fifth scorer in the entire meet. “Once I heard my placement I knew I needed to move up, so I started passing girls. I felt strong and continued moving up places, knowing our team’s placement goals for state. I’m just glad our team worked as one to earn this second-place finish.”
Maile rebounded with a huge effort after placing 30th in the state qualifying meet on Oct. 21 at Southeast Polk, where she struggled on the hills.
“I knew if our 4 and 5 runners could place in the top 40, then we’d have a shot at the team title,” Cogdill said. “I also knew that a team is only as good as its fifth scorer. Trinity has been such a huge leader for us this season, especially being the consistent presence and rallying voice for our chase pack. And Sammi, who has had an up and down season because hills are her nemesis, came through in the clutch as well. Those two closed their final 1.1 miles just as fast as our three all-staters.”
Centennial freshman Zoey Bogseth also made a late rally, moving up 12 spots down the stretch to place 55th in 19:34.6. Sophomore Piper Klingner finished 93rd in 20:20.4.
“Zoey has a bright future. She holds the fourth-fastest freshman time in Jaguar history behind Rebecca, Sammi and Natalie,” Cogdill said. “Piper didn’t have the day she deserved, but she has had her moments as our fourth finisher and we are incredibly proud of her efforts on the day and all season. She has grit and determination that runs deep.”
Cogdill said his team overcame a lot of hurdles to nearly claim the Class 4A championship.
“Unbeknownst to me and to each other, each girl was shouldering pre-race stress all week long,” he said. “None of us coaches could sense it because they all hid it so well, but afterwards they all shared how awful their bodies felt while racing. It’s incredible that they each willed their bodies to the performances they secured.”
Natalie Cogdill said all of the Jaguars put a lot of pressure on themselves.
“On the outside, we each tried to stay calm and collected so we didn’t freak each other out, but I can tell that our internal stress really took a mental and physical toll,” she said. “That being said, we all gave everything we had, and I couldn’t be prouder of my friends because we all worked so hard this year to make it on that deck! We all had our fair share of challenges this season, but looking back, it really brought us closer together and helped us cross the finish line as a family.”
In the end, Cedar Falls freshman Meryl Pruisner proved to be the difference. Typically the Tigers’ No. 6 runner, she moved up to become the team’s third scorer with a 24th-place finish.
“That was the surprise of the day,” coach Cogdill said. “Pruisner had been finishing 30 seconds behind their 4 and 5 runners and had finished behind our 11th Jaguar six weeks earlier, but she ran a massive personal best. Without her, Cedar Falls is a distant fourth and we would have finished with 99 points (and won the title). That’s how close we came to a team championship, and that’s how much one girl can shake up the results.”
