Union head coach Justin Parson speaks to his girls' team ahead of their home race on Sept. 8 in La Porte City. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

The Union Knights cross country team played host to seven different teams including North Tama this past Thursday, Sept. 8 at La Porte City Golf Club – sweeping several of the top spots in the Girls 5K and taking first place overall.

Union runners Amilia Condon, Lauren Youngblut, Lily Lorenzen, and Brooklynne Jeffries all placed in the top 10. Condon took second place with a finish of 20:25.5 while Youngblut finished third with a time of 20:52.9. Lorenzen took fifth with a time of 22:26.5 and Jeffries came in eighth with a 23:22.3 finish.

The Union boys came in fourth out of seven teams with 97 points, just behind third place finishers Nashua-Plainfield with 92 points. Vinton-Shellsburg came in first while Valley Lutheran finished second.

Only Kengo Uchiyama-Hansen placed in the top 10 for the Union boys team – coming in eighth with a time of ​​19:43.3.

The small but mighty Redhawks girls team – fielding just five varsity runners – took third overall with 81 points beating out Nashua-Plainfield (96), Edgewood-Colesburg (119), and Vinton-Shellsburg (136).

The North Tama girls cross country team readies for the race on Sept. 8 in La Porte City. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

While Grace Lidgett was the only North Tama runner to place in the top 10 – crossing the finish line in fourth with a time of 21:38.3 – the rest of her teammates finished in the top half of the field, helping to cement the Redhawks No. 3 finish. Jamie Jacobs finished 16th, Ava Breakenridge finished 23rd, Gabby Seda finished 24th, and Olivia Ketter finished 26th.

The only North Tama boys runner this year is junior Case Monat who finished 42nd out of 63 runners with a time of 23:23.4.

Heading into Week 3 (Sept. 6), Union girls were ranked 13th overall in Class 2A with Youngblut ranked 16th in the individual rankings.

North Tama’s Lidgett was ranked No. 9 in Class 1A.

After competing in the Starmont Invitational this week on Tuesday, Sept. 13, the Knights are set to travel to Willow Run Country Club on Monday, Sept. 19 for the Denver Cyclone Meet.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

On Monday, North Tama was scheduled to compete in the South Tama XC Meet before heading to Dakins Lake Park and Campground on Thursday for the Colo-NESCO Cross Country Meet.

Knights runner Amilia Condon crosses the finish line in second place last Thursday, Sept. 8 during the Union Invitational in La Porte City. PHOTO BY RUBY F. BODEKER

Union’s Lauren Younblut – ranked 16th in Class 2A as of Week 3 – crosses the finish line in third place last Thursday, Sept. 8 during the Union Invitational in La Porte City. PHOTO BY RUBY F. BODEKER

North Tama runner Grace Lidgett – ranked ninth in the state in Class 1A as of Week 3 – crosses the Union Invitational finish line in fourth place last Thursday, Sept. 8 on the La Porte City Golf Club course. PHOTO BY RUBY F. BODEKER

Redhawk runner Ava Breakenridge crosses the finish line with a time of 25:53.4 during the Union Invitational held on the La Porte City Golf Club course last Thursday, Sept. 8. PHOTO BY RUBY F. BODEKER