GAYS MILLS — With leading runner Jordan Jenks resting a nagging hip injury and a strained calf, fellow Iowa–Grant junior Ethan McCracken picked up the slack.
     McCracken finished second overall in the boys’ varsity race to lead the Iowa–Grant/Highland boys to the team-title at last Tuesday’s North Crawford Goat Hill Classic in Gays Mills.
     McCracken, the son of head coach Corey McCracken, covered the hilly 5,000-meter course in 19 minutes and 15.19 seconds, finishing only behind Riverdale’s Brian Mathews (18:16.02).
     Fellow junior Micah Bomkamp (20:13.06) and sophomore Ben Connolly (20:14.50) just missed medalists honors, placing 11th and 12th respectively for the I–G co-op.
     Creighton Biddick (15th, 20:58.74), William McLeer (16th, 21:06.95), Charlie Connolly (22nd, 22:10.73) and Kyle Faull (24th, 22:24.93) rounded out the Panthers’ lineup.
     Iowa–Grant/Highland easily outpointed runner-up Kickapoo/La Farge 56–74 to claim the team title.
     In the girls’ race, I–G placed second, just seven points behind team champion West Central, 41–48.
     Sophomore Caitlyn Fowell (20:29.99) placed fourth, while senior Gabie Campbell finished sixth (20:47.72) to lead the Panther girls. Both earned medalist honors.
     Cassville’s Jenna Friesen was the girls’ individual champion with a winning time of 19:24.80.

North Crawford Goat Hill Classic
(from Tuesday, Sept. 17 @ Gays Mills)
(Girls, 4,000 meters)
Team scores: 1.West Central 41, 2.Iowa–Grant/Highland 48, 3.Riverdale 49, 4.North Crawford 72, Kickapoo/La Farge inc., Cassville inc.
Top individuals: 1.Jenna Friesen (Cassville) 19:24.80, 2.Janay Wiedenfeld (Riverdale) 19:31.09, 3.Katie Peterson (West Central) 20:18.83, 4.Caitlyn Fowell (Iowa–Grant/Highland) 20:26.64, 5.Gabrielle Roth (West Central) 20:29.99.
Iowa–Grant/Highland: 4.Fowell 20:29.99, 6.Gabie Campbell 20:47.72, 14.Makayla Dicken 22:06.66, 19.Julia Cockroft 23:21.01, 22.Marie Diver 25:00.14.
(Boys, 5,000 meters)
Team scores: 1.Iowa–Grant/Highland 56, 2.Kickapoo/La Farge 74, 3.Riverdale 81, 3.West Central 81, 5.North Crawford 85, 6.Cassville 88.
Top individuals: 1.Brian Mathews (Riverdale) 18:16.02, 2.Ethan McCracken (Iowa–Grant) 19:15.19, 3.Mason Geary (Kickapoo/La Farge) 19:20.0, 4.Mitchell Shallwani (Riverdale) 19:32.97, 5.Jacob Bransky (North Crawford) 19:39.54.
Iowa–Grant/Highland: 2.McCracken 19:15.19, 11.Micah Bomkamp 20:13.06, 12.Ben Connolly 20:14.50, 15.Creighton Biddick 20:58.74, 16.William McLeer 21:06.95, 22.Charlie Connolly 22:10.73, 24.Kyle Faull 22:24.93