Borkowski earns first meet title at Cyclone Invite
HARLAN (Sept. 28) -- Always a top-four finisher, never a meet champion.
Prior to Saturday morning’s Cyclone Cross Country Invitational, that was the 2019 summary - and a good one at that - for Harlan Community senior Lucy Borkowski.
It also needs an update.
On the heels of three straight runner-up efforts at Lewis Central, Storm Lake and Creston, Borkowski ran away from the field at the Harlan Golf and Country Club, crossing the finish line 31 seconds ahead of Glenwood sophomore Rachel Mullennax to win her first individual title with a personal-best time of 19:43.
Kaia Bieker (fourth) and Abby Alberti (fifth) also placed in the top five for the fourth-ranked (3A) Cyclone girls, who earned their fifth team title in six meets by a 35-77 margin over No. 14 Glenwood. The AHSTW girls, ranked ninth in 1A, scored a 110 to nip 10th-ranked (3A) Atlantic for third place by a point.
The HCHS boys (121) took third behind Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson (54) and Atlantic (94), improving on last year’s home meet finish by six spots.
Borkowski took over the lead less than halfway through the girls’ five-kilometer race and continued to pull away down the stretch despite having no one to chase but the lead cart driver ahead of her.
“It was a little different,” she said. “I just kept thinking, ‘Chase the cart.’ I wanted to get a good time so I was just trying to push for that and I just (kept) positive thoughts going through my head.
“I’m just so grateful for all my friends (on this team). We really lift each other up as we run through each and every race and I’m just thankful that God gave us this talent to go out and compete every day."
Junior Trey Gross paced the HCHS boys with an eighth-place time of 17:10 while Brennon Munch (21st, 17:59) and Isaac Jones (23rd, 18:09) also finished in the top 25. Ryann Portch of AHSTW placed seventh in 20:39 to pace the Lady Vikes.
HCHS Cyclone Cross Country Invite • Sept. 28 • Harlan Golf & Country Club
Girls Team Standings - 1. Harlan Community 35, 2. Glenwood 77, 3. AHSTW 110, 4. Atlantic 111, 5. Lewis Central 146, 6. CB Thomas Jefferson 165, 7. CB Abraham Lincoln 171, 8. Denison-Schleswig 222, 9. Clarinda 222, 10. Treynor 227, 11. Red Oak 230.
Top 5 Individual Girls - 1. Lucy Borkowski (Har.), 19:43; 2. Rachel Mullennax (Glen.), 20:14; 3. Mayson Hartley (Clar.), 20:24; 4. Kaia Bieker (Har.), 20:32; 5. Abby Alberti (Har.), 20:33.
HCHS Individual Results
1st: Lucy Borkowski, 19:43.
4th: Kaia Bieker, 20:32.
5th: Abby Alberti, 20:33.
12th: Liv Freund, 20:49.
13th: Brecken Van Baale, 20:53.
14th: Abi Albertsen, 21:17.
33rd: Raegen Wicks, 22:35.
AHSTW Individual Results
7th: Ryann Portch, 20:39.
22nd: Julia Kock, 21:47.
25th: Chloe Falkena, 22:03.
28th: Jade Draman, 22:05.
32nd: Holly Hoepner, 22:26.
68th: Jordan Blotzer, 26:00.
71st: Grace Luna, 26:44.
(5-kilometer times; 80 runners)
Boys Team Standings - 1. CB Thomas Jefferson 54, 2. Atlantic 94, 3. Harlan Community 121, 4. Lewis Central 137, 5. St. Albert 147, 6. Treynor 149, 7. Glenwood 153, 8. CB Abraham Lincoln 183, 9. Red Oak 203, 10. Clarinda 221, 11. Denison-Schleswig 252, 12. Riverside 273, 13. Trinity Christian 293.
Top 5 Individual Boys - 1. Gilo Wimach (TJ), 16:18; 2. Bennett Heisterkamp (St. Albert), 16:28; 3. Juan Martinez (TJ), 16:48; 4. Craig Alan Becker (Atl.), 16:48; 5. Aidan Booton (TJ), 16:54.
HCHS Individual Results
8th: Trey Gross, 17:10.
21st: Brennon Munch, 17:59.
23rd: Isaac Jones, 18:09.
33rd: Mitchell Rueschenberg, 18:31.
36th: Dalton Gross, 18:33.
60th: Kaiden Milliken, 19:19.
83rd: Reed Boardman, 20:52.
(5-kilometer times; 89 runners)