DONNELLSON – The Central Lee cross-country teams are experiencing a little up-and-down this season, but success is paramount to just rebuilding this year.
The boys team has its best numbers in quite a while and 5th year head coach Chase Newton is hoping to see some runners still going in November when the state run takes place in Fort Dodge.
The boys this year will get some senior leadership from Leo Thomas who is back as the Hawk’s top runner, but Newton said Ayden Kent will challenge him and there is a bevy of underclassmen who could challenge the two seniors and create a pack-running mentality.
“We’ve got a young group and mix of seniors. Leo Thomas and Ayden Kent will lead us for experience. Then we’ve got mostly a younger crew of Austin Fogarty, Caden Crozier, Kaiden Humes, and an incoming freshman, my son, Caedon Newton,” Newton said.
“We should be better than last year, and I think we’ll be pretty competitive.”
The Hawks finished the season eighth in the SEI Superconference meet last year. Newton said he hopes to build on that this year.
The squad also consists of junior Beau Boyd, sophomore Jovan Rule, and freshman Keegan Westfall.
“That group should work together as a pack-running team and then we’ll see who separates themselves as our top runners,” he said.
“We prefer to do that, but this will be one of my first years where we’ll be able to have a team that can pack run.”
Newton said he, along with Holly Weber, the girls head coach, have been working to rebuild the program for several years. The last Hawk to qualify for the state meet was Amanda Gilpin in 2020.
“We’ve been building our numbers every year and increasing in size and talent. Either this year or next we’ll have some qualifying teams for state, that’s the goal,” Newton said.
“The squad finished eighth last year in the conference meet and we’re certainly hoping to improve on that.”
Newton said Mediapolis and Danville will be the top teams in the conference.
Thomas placed 36th in the state qualifying meet last year at Williamsburg with a time of 19:13.70. Newton said he’s counting on that experience to drive the Hawks this season.
“Leo led our team last year and I’m looking for him to lead the team again. We have some underclassmen coming in to challenge, and I’m curious to see how my son does this year.”
Caedon Newton placed 41st in the state last season in the middle school state meet.
“This is probably the largest team we’ve had,” Newton said.
"I would say this year could be a product of the rebuilding. That’s a continuing process. We’re not where we want to be yet, but it’s the next step."
The girls' squad has six runners, including four freshmen and a sophomore, so they are in a rebuilding year.
Junior Gabby Maynes will provide the lone leadership this year. Maynes finished 61st at the Williamsburg qualifier last season. Saphire Cummings finished 69th as a freshman and will also help the younger Lady Hawks, including Macy Anderson, Afton Maynes, Aubree Bunnell, and Evelyn Adkins.
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