Union's Millie Condon pushes her way to the finish line during last Thursday's 2A state qualifier race in Monticello. Condon came in second – just behind Starmont's Lauren Krogmann – punching her ticket to the state meet. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

MONTICELLO — Union cross country runner Amilia ‘Millie’ Condon qualified as an individual for this Saturday’s 2A state cross country race by taking second last week Thursday during the district qualifying meet held in Monticello.

After leading for much of the race on Thursday, junior Condon – ranked seventh in 2A – punched her ticket to the state meet with a finish of 19 minutes, 17 seconds, just behind the district champion, Starmont’s Lauren Krogmann who was ranked sixth prior to the meet.

“Millie ran a great race,” Union head coach Justin Parson told the Telegraph following the race. “We tried to stretch the gap on the competition and it just about paid off. She has come a long way in the past two years.”

As she did all season, Condon had a strong team to run alongside and lead including seniors Sydney Anton, Emily Petersen, and Lauren Youngblut; juniors Lily Lorenzen and Kate Carlson; and sophomore Brynn Albertsen in her rookie cross country season.

Union – ranked 12th heading into the qualifier – faced several highly competitive 2A schools on the Monticello course which made for a tough race.

The Union girls cross country team huddles up prior to the state qualifier race in Monticello last Thursday, Oct. 19. This was the final race for seniors Sydney Anton, Lauren Youngblut, and Emily Petersen. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“I felt like our district was the strongest of the five,” Coach Parson said, “but we ran about like we have all year. Very proud of both teams. The girls knew we were on the outside looking in.”

Union finished fifth as a team behind third-ranked Monticello in first, sixth-ranked Tipton in second, No. 13 Hudson in third, and Crestwood in fourth. Only the top three 2A teams from each qualifier advance to the state meet.

Youngblut crossed the finish line second for the Knights in 24th place with a time of 21:02, while Anton was 26th in 21:03 – both just barely missing the cutoff for state.

Rounding out Union’s roster, Lorenzen finished 37th in 21:52; Albertsen was 42nd in 22:05; Carlson was 71st in 23:39; and Petersen was 75th in 24:10.

The race was bittersweet for the trio of seniors on the tight knit team, Coach Parson said, a team which ranked as high as No. 11 in Class 2A this season.

Union cross country head coach Justin Parson, third from left, speaks to his team prior to the start of the 2A girls state qualifier race in Monticello last Thursday. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“For Emily, Sydney, and Lauren, it was hard for me to see them at the end of the race. They’ve meant so much to our team and I’m going to miss them tremendously.”

This will be Condon’s third appearance at the Iowa High School Cross Country Championships held in Fort Dodge. After qualifying last year as a sophomore she finished with a time of 20:51.17 in the 5,000-meter race.

This year’s Class 2A girls race is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 28.

From left, Union runners Lily Lorenzen, Emily Petersen, Brynn Albertsen, Lauren Youngblut, Kate Carlson (obscured), Millie Condon, and Sydney Anton take off from the start of last Thursday's 2A state qualifier race in Monticello. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Knights runner Sydney Anton, a senior, rounds the bend after the first mile of the 2A girls state qualifier race held in Monticello last week Thursday. Anton finished third for the Knights and placed 26th overall out of 96 runners with a time of 21:03. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Millie Condon runs tight alongside the finish chute in Monticello last week Thursday. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Union's Lauren Youngblut, center, nears the finish in Monticello in what would become her final high school cross country race. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Knights senior Sydney Anton works to pass a Hudson runner in the finish chute last week Thursday during the 2A state qualifier in Monticello. Anton just missed the cut for state, making the race the final of her high school cross country career. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Union's Lily Lorenzen, center, leads a pack of runners as she heads toward the finish line during last week's 2A state qualifying meet in Monticello. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Brynn Albertsen, a sophomore on Union's cross country team in her rookie season, races toward the finish last Thursday during the 2A state qualifying meet hosted by Monticello. Albertsen was experiencing tendonitis in her foot but managed to power through to finish in 42nd place with a time of 22:05. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Union's Kate Carlson pictured near the finish line during last week's 2A state qualifying meet in Monticello. Carlson finished 71st in 23:39. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Knights runner Emily Petersen makes her way toward the finish line during last week's 2A state qualifying meet in Monticello. Petersen, a senior, ran her final high school cross country race in Monticello, finishing with a time of 24:10. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Union's boys cross country team takes off last week Thursday during the 2A state qualifier race in Monticello. Sawyer Spence (fifth from left) crossed the finish line first for the Knights in 24th place with a time of 18:01.7. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Union's Sawyer Spence pictured near the finish line last week Thursday during the 2A state qualifying meet in Monticello. Spence, just a sophomore, is predicted to qualify for the state meet before his high school career finishes. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER