Freshmen shine at X-country qualifier

POWER

My uncle (Ryan Rump) tells me when I feel scared I should do a power pose and that's kind of what I was doing.”

Avery Rump, FMHS freshman state qualifier

PACK RUNNING

We did not expect this. We thought it was cold and we would do well, but instead we did great. In the last 400 meters we picked it up a ton and Riley stayed right with me.”

Mason McLey, FMHS freshman state qualifier

WASHINGTON - Four freshmen pulled the Hounds to a strong showing at the Class 3A cross-country district state qualifier Wednesday in Washington.

The afternoon was led off by the strong 3rd-place finish of Avery Rump, who finished with a 19:17.9 at the Washington Golf and Country Club.

Then twin-sister Addison Rump finished at 14th with a 21:20.8, making state by about 12 seconds.

In the following boys' run, freshmen Mason McLey and Riley Tripp wiped out about a dozen runners in the final 400 meters to finish 14th and 15th. McLey finished at 17:08.3 with Tripp at 17:14.2.

Fort Madison finished with 109 points behind Mt. Vernon-Lisbon (60) and Western Dubuque (63).

"I told the kids at the beginning of the year to look at last year's state qualifiers and final results and see how many freshman are in that race," Mendez said.

"Why not us? It's been that way all season for us. Why not us?"

But it was the rest of the Bloodhound boys who also made up tremendous ground over the final mile to push the Hounds to the state meet as a team for the first time since 2012.

"They like to pack run and I told them we're either going to break that pack up or the pack-running has to be done in the front," Mendez said. "All season they did that. This might be the only team that I've had that, from Fairfield on, we improved every race. You just don't have that."

McLey was all smiles after the race and said he and Tripp pushed each other around the course.

"I was just following Riley and he said 'let's go get this next group', so we went and did it," McLey said.

"We did not expect this. We thought it was cold and we would do well, but instead we did great. In the last 400 meters, we picked it up a ton, and Riley stayed right with me."

Tripp said that turned into the strategy mid-run.

"Whenever we saw someone close in front of us, we would tell each other to get this one and we would go do that," he said.

"I really wanted to finish in the top 15, but thought I could realistically get in the top 20, so I'm really, really happy."

Sophomore Jacob Shottenkirk finished in the top 20 at 19th with a 17:18.07. It was the kick of Shottenkirk and Nolan Guzman that helped pushed the Hounds over as they nipped 4th place South Tama by just two points.

"I had a lot of energy built up. I left it all on the course and I wanted to run as hard as a I could and just leave it all out there," he said.

"This year we were just hoping to get it, but were really thinking next year. This surprised us all."

Nolan Guzman finished 27th and Peyton Lambert finished 34th, while John Cottrell and Castille Johnson were 44th and 70th, respectively.

Avery and Addison Rump both had aspirations of making state coming into the meet.

"I was hoping for a top five," Avery said. "At the starting line, I took a bunch of deep breaths. I didn't feel the nerves at the start - but more confident and powerful.

"My uncle (Ryan Rump) tells me when I feel scared I should do a power pose and that's kind of what I was doing."

She said she tried to conserve energy on the downhills of the course by striding out her run at the same pace. Rump held second place for the first mile, but was overtaken by Center Point's Emma Wilkerson at about the halfway mark.

She said her plan going forward will be determined by the coaches and her father, Matt Rump.

Matt Rump said following the event that he was thrilled both his girls made it and leading up to the event, they will just go at the advice of Head Coach Brian Mendez.

Avery said she was just looking forward to the challenge of the race in Fort Dodge's  Kennedy Park on Oct. 29 with a simple goal - to have fun.

"I feel like I"m just going to have fun at that meet. It will be the last meet of the year and I just want to go all out."

Addison said she was aware of her place during the run because she heard people telling other runners  where they were.

"Going into the final chute, I knew I was 13th because I had just run passed someone, and as far as I knew, she was the only one around me," she said.

She said wanted to finish in the top 15 at qualifying and just get to state.

"I know I"m not ranked as high as Avery, and I don't know what the talent level looks like, but it will be fun and I can get to know the course for my sophomore, junior, and senior years."

"I'm proud of them all," Mendez said. "We knew the only way Avery wasn't getting in was if she didn't run. Addison was suffering a little leg pain, but we knew she had it in her."

The Fort Madison girls finished 5th overall  with 132 points behind Mt. Vernon-Lisbon, Washington, Center Point-Urbana, and Davenport Assumption.

Hadley Wolfe was third for the Hounds with a 30th place finish. Behind her were Allison Lamb (36th), Alexa Walz (54th), Jordyn Burch (57th), and Emma Berry (71st).