Hounds, Lady Hounds runner-up at Timm Lamb Invite

Gotta go

I heard coach, I heard Tim Lamm, and I heard somebody else and I just said, ‘I gotta go'."”

Paetyn Wiegand, senior Lady Hound harrier

FORT MADISON – Avery Rump ran cross country all year last year pushing up her glasses as she went. This year she dumped her glasses, heeding some advice from her father.
So the Bloodhound sophomore said she just watched the lead gator all the way around Fort Madison’s Rodeo Park as she took first place in the Timm Lamb Cross Country Invitational Thursday night in Fort Madison.
“My dad told me to stop wearing them because I kept having to push them up while I was running,” Rump said following the girls varsity run.
“I have contacts, but I don’t wear them. I’m afraid they’ll mess me up.”
Not much messed up Rump as she raced around the 5K course at 19:48.3, a full :13 ahead of Washington’s Iris Dahl.
The Lady Hounds took second place with 43 points. Washington won the event with 39 points.
Fort Madison’s Paetyn Wiegand took third in a strong finish, getting past Keokuk’s Hannah Karre in the final 30 meters.
Other scoring runners for the Fort Madison girls were Addison Rump, Allison Lamb, and Charley Huebner. Addison Rump finished 7th with a time of 21:13.3. Lamb came in 15th at 22:48.6 and Huebner placed 17th at 22:55.6.
Other runners were McKayla Schinstock (22nd) and Hadley Wolfe (23rd).
Avery Rump said she’s been battling some illnesses early in the season, but is starting to feel better.
She passed out during the first race and then didn’t run at Keokuk last week. Her first race was a 5K in Illinois and she ran at Washington in the latest meet.
“I was a lot faster today than in Washington. I really wasn’t feeling great before the race at that race either. It wasn’t a good day,” she said.
Rump and Iris Dahl of Washington have been chasing each other the last couple years. Rump said the competition between the two sophomores is fun and friendly.
Her 19:48 is 13 seconds slower than her freshman year run in 2022 when she navigated the course at 19:35.
Wiegand said she’s running well after missing half the season last year in her junior year.
She said motivation along the trail helped her find another gear toward the end.
“I heard coach, I heard Tim Lamm, and I heard somebody else and I just said, ‘I gotta go’,” she said.
She attributes the success this year to her teammates and coaches pushing her.
Weigand said being back this year and feeling better is “amazing”.
She said her goals for her final year running for the Bloodhounds focus on the team.
“If I make it to state individually that would be fun, but my goal is for the team to go to state,” she said.
The boys also captured second-place behind the Demons. Washington scored just 28 points with four top-six finishes and 14th place to make up the scoring. Fort Madison had 63 points.
Nolan Guzman led the Hounds with a 4th-place mark, making up three spots in the final 400 meters. He finished with a 17:10.4 which was his fastest time at the park so far.
Jacob Shottenkirk came in 7th with a 17:25.5. The other scoring runners were Mason McLey (13th) 18:01.9, Riley Tripp (18th) 18:19.1, and Hunter Wiegand (21st) 18:37.6.
Other runners for the Hounds were Castille Johnstun (24th) and Calvin Johnson (27th).
Guzman said the Hounds’ main goal is to return to state, but he, too, would rather goes as a team than individually.
“Either way, I want to get back to state. But my goal and our goal is to go back as a team,” he said.
The Hounds are coming off a state-qualifying year in 2022 where they finished 4th at the District qualifier.
Fort Madison’s boys and girls both travel to Mt. Pleasant for the Panther Invitational on Tuesday evening.
Gabby Maynes led the Central Lee girls with a 28:05.5 for a 34th-place finish. Saphire Cummings ran a 36:08.2, and Sydnie Larson completed the race at 40:50.1. The Lady Hawks fielded three runners and didn’t qualify for the team scores.
Central Lee’s boys took 8th place in the Varsity B run led by Kaidin Humes' 26th-place finish. Leo Thomas was right behind at 27th, while Austin Fogarty, Ayden Kent, and Caden Crozier were the scoring runners for the Hawks.
Humes ran at 20:03.0 and Thomas came in right behind at 20:07.8. Fogarty finished at 20:27.5. Kent raced to a 20:47.2 for 37th place and Crozier finished at 21:41.7 for 48th place.
Other runners for the Hawks included Zach Manwill (49th), Brendan Mulligan (50th), Jovan Rule, Beau Boyd, Riley Salterman-Rickman, and Owen Krogmeier.
The Hawks also travel to Mt. Pleasant on Tuesday night.
Holy Trinity boys took 9th place in the B Division. Maddux Rung led the Crusaders with a 21st-place finish at 19:46.3. Sheldon Kruse was right behind in 22nd at 19:46.8 just a half-second behind Rung. Other scoring runners for HTC were Tanner Williams 20:59.3 (40th), Layne Rung 22:14.3 (45th), and Caleb Rea 24:56.4 (55th).