North Tama senior cross country runner Rachael Murty, right, races alongside a harrier from South Tama during the STC Co-Ed Cross Country Invitational held Monday, Sept. 14, in Tama. Murty finished seventh, leading her team to a silver-medal finish. PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT

TRAER – North Tama cross country runner Rachael Murty crossed the finish line in seventh at last week’s competitive STC Co-Ed Cross Country Invitational before doing the same the next day at the Colo-NESCO Cross Country Invite, improving by nearly 30 seconds between the two meets and helping her team earn silver both evenings.

STC Co-Ed

Senior Murty finished in 22 minutes, 10.20 seconds in the seven-team scoring field at the South Tama meet held at the high school in Tama on Monday, Sept. 14. She medaled by placing seventh out of 63 finishers, pacing the Redhawks in the girls varsity race and helping propel North Tama to a silver medal finish overall. Isla Breakenridge also earned a medal, finishing 11th in 23:13.60.

West Marshall’s Dalaney Eldridge, ranked No. 12 in Class 2A ahead of the meet, won the girls race, finishing in 20:32.9.

Additional North Tama finishes included Lucy Monat (24:42.20) 18th, Abigail “Abi” Monat (24:52.60) 19th, Aniston Cooper (27:14.00) 34th, Brynley Seda (27:40.10) 37th, Violet Seda (29:32.30) 50th, and Calleigh Staker (32:41.60) 57th.

The North Tama girls cross country team, coached by Katey Holbach and Jana Monat, pictured following the STC Co-ed, Monday, Sept. 14, in Tama, where the Redhawks earned a silver-medal finish out of seven scoring teams. From left, Calleigh Staker, Violet Seda, Brynley Seda, Aniston Cooper, Abi Monat, Lucy Monat, Isla Breakenridge, and Rachael Murty. PHOT COURTESY OF NORTH TAMA SCHOOLS

West Marshall won the meet with 18 points, followed by North Tama with 77 and East Marshall with 85. Meskwaki came in fourth and the hosts finished seventh for last place.

North Tama did not field any runners in the boys varsity race.

Colo-NESCO

One day later, Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Colo-NESCO Cross Country Invite held at Dakins Lake Park and Campground in Zearing, Murty again paced the Redhawks, finishing seventh in the seven-team girls varsity field with a time of 21 minutes, 40.34 seconds. She shaved 29.86 seconds off her time between the two meets, helping the Redhawks earn another silver medal.

Breakenridge (22:15.90) finished just behind Murty in ninth place, followed by Lucy Monat 16th, Abi Monat 17th, Brynley Seda 29th, Violet Seda 34th, Cooper 39th, and Staker 52nd.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE BRANT

Out of 55 scoring runners, Colo-NESCO senior Elizabeth Erickson won her home meet, finishing in 19 minutes, 21.47 seconds.

Collins-Maxwell won the meet overall with 37 points. North Tama earned silver with 65 points, followed by Meskawki and Colfax-Minho tying for third with 83 points apiece.

Last season, Murty raced her way to a personal record while competing in the 2025 Iowa High School Cross Country Championships Class 1A girls race, crossing the finish line 63rd out of 158 competitors with a time of 21:5.90.

The North Tama girls cross country team missed out on a state berth in 2025 after finishing third at the Class 1A District 7 meet, just behind state-qualifiers Hudson and Lynnville-Sully.

Redhawk sisters Lucy and Abigail “Abi” Monat round a corner side-by-side on Monday, Sept. 14, during the STC Co-Ed Cross Country Invitational. PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT