Staats helps Wildcats earn a spot at state - Columbus wins Cross Country Class 2A district boys title.

The last time a Columbus High School boys cross country team qualified for the state meet, none of the current members of the team had even been born yet.

The year was 1985. The oldest member of the current Columbus team was born a year later.

Eighteen years later, Columbus will make a return trip to state.

Led by junior Mitch Staats, who led almost the entire race and became the district champion, the Wildcats had four runners place in the top 10 and five in the top 15 to win the team title at a Class 2A district meet Thursday at East Lake Park.

Columbus finished with 37 points to win the team title.

Winning the district title is the fourth of five steps Columbus is trying to take this year. The fifth and final step is winning the state championship. The state cross country meet is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge.

Four steps down, one to go.

"I really don't know what to say right now. I'm speechless," Columbus coach Mike Jay said. "This is a dream come true. The kids came in after running all summer and we knew we had an opportunity to do something special. We never really talked about state. Our goal was to win conference again. But after we beat Fairfield at a meet early in the season, we thought, 'Wow! Maybe we can do something big.' I am just so proud and so happy for the boys."

"This feels pretty good," Staats said. "We feel confident we can do good at state, maybe get in the top three or even win it."

"This feels great," said Columbus junior Richard Rocha, who finished third. "It was a good run."

"We're pretty excited," said Columbus sophomore Joe Jay, who finished 10th. "This feels awesome because the only boys team that got recognition before is wrestling. This feels really good."

"I think it's just awesome," said Columbus junior Jonathan Chaney, who finished eighth. "Everyone ran their best today. This is the fourth step. We have one more step and that is to win state."

The Wildcats will have plenty of company at state. Danville–New London, which qualified for state for the first time last year, will make a return visit. The Bears finished second in the team standings with 73 points.

The Bears had two runners finish in the top 10. Jaron Byrum finished fifth in 17 minutes, 25.50 seconds and Lance Ingwersen was ninth in 17:45.31.

"I am very happy with that," Danville–New London coach Scott Beversdorf said. "They ran very well, very strong. Hopefully since we have a little experience (at state), the kids will know what they are getting into."

"This is what we have been talking about since the first day," Byrum said. "This is exactly what we wanted to do."

"It was a pretty good race, especially after battling a hamstring injury," said Ingwersen, who missed the first two meets of the year with a strained right hamstring. "I was pretty impressed with the way I ran. I was in the top five or six most of the race."

Qualifying as individuals by placing in the top 10 were Nick Nowak of Louisa–Muscatine and Craig Land of Central Lee. Nowak was sixth in 17:32.37, while Land was seventh in 17:33.77.

Tyler Phelps of Winfield–Mount Union/WACO narrowly missed qualifying for state, finishing 12th in 17:59.15.

Staats, fresh off a victory in the Harmony Invitational last week, set a torrid early pace. He passed early leader Nowak in the first turn, then found 14th–ranked Chad August of Bennett–Durant hot on his heels.

Staats and August pushed the pace all the way through the race, breaking away from the pack at about the one–mile mark.

While Staats and August battled for the lead, Rocha charged through the pack and took third place as they headed around the far side of the lake.

Staats proved he is one of the top runners in the state, holding off August down the stretch. August went into his finishing kick with just over 100 meters left. Staats turned on the afterburners, crossing the finish line in a blistering 16:48.10. August was right behind, finishing in 16:49.04.

"I didn't think about where anyone else was. I just ran my race," Staats said. "With about 500 meters left I really wanted to win. I ran my heart out. I didn't think I could do it, but I did it."

"Mitch proved tonight he is one of the best runners in the state," Coach Jay said.

Nowak became the first boys runner in Louisa–Muscatine history to qualify for the state meet.

"I was just following Rocha from Columbus," Nowak said. "I tried to stay with him because he always places up there high."

Land became the first Central Lee boys runner to qualify for state since Matt Lamb in 2000.

"I ran pretty good. I was shooting for a top–10 finish," Land said. "Hopefully now our team gets recognized at school more."

But Thursday turned out to be 'Columbus Day' for the Wildcats.

"We've always had a good program, but this helps take it to the next level," Coach Jay said. "I hope this will last for a while."

TEAM SCORES

(Top 3 qualify for state)

1. Columbus, 37; 2. Danville–New London, 73; 3. Bennett–Durant, 79; 4. Central Lee, 138; 5. Mediapolis, 193; 6. Clear Creek–Amana, 201; 7. Wilton, 215; 8. Louisa–Muscatine, 216; 9. Mid–Prairie, 221; 10. Winfield–Mount Union/WACO, 224; 11. Davis County, 262; 12. Van Buren, 293; 13. Highland–Lone Tree, 353.

STATE QUALIFIERS

1. Mitch Staats (Columbus), 16:48.10; 2. Chad August (Bennett–Durant), 16:49.04; 3. Richard Rocha (Columbus), 17:06.96; 4. Brandon Rock (Davis County), 17:20.31; 5. Jaron Bryum (Danville–New London), 17:25.50; 6. Nick Nowak (Louisa–Muscatine), 17:32.37; 7. Craig Land (Central Lee), 17:33.77; 8. Jonathan Chaney (Columbus), 17:43.05; 9. Lance Ingwersen (Danville–New London), 17:45.31; 10. Joe Jay (Columbus), 17:50.80.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Columbus — 1. Staats, 16:48.10; 3. Rocha, 17:06.96; 8. Chaney, 17:43.05; 10. Jay, 17:50.80; 15. Kory Krenz, 18:08.04; 26. Tyler Travis, 18:41.59; 37. Casey Humbert, 19:08.14.

Danville–New London — 5. Byrum, 17:25.50; 9. Ingwersen, 17:45.31; 14. Zach Beversdorf, 18:07.32; 21. Corey Beckman, 18:15.61; 24. Mark Manske, 18:32.53; 34. Mitch Genck, 18:59.45; 53. Kevin Quickstad, 19:41.64.

Louisa–Muscatine — 6. Nowak, 17:32.37; 30. Mike Strasser, 18:50.57; 46. Jairin Genung, 19:24.91; 65. Mitch Schweitzer, 20:44.19; 71. Billy Luttrull, 21:09.11; 74. Eric Wilson, 21:29.17.

Central Lee — 7. Land, 17:33.77; 27. Luther Bangert, 18:44.44; 29. Gabriel Rosales, 18:46.88; 32. Andrew Ellingboe, 18:58.15; 43. Marty Lamb, 19:18.35; 49. Josh Spiker, 19:29.05; 51. Brett Newton, 19:35.36.

Winfield–Mount Union/WACO — 12. Tyler Phelps, 17:59.15; 33. Ryan Gerling, 18:58.70; 41. Aarron Buffington, Jr., 19:14.35; 62. Kale Paisley, 20:22.99; 76. Adam Mahan, 21:53.21; 82. Aaron Zuspann, 22:51.46; 83. Brett Unkrich, 23:06.13.

Mediapolis — 22. Travis Mumme, 18:21.74; 38. Nate Haberman, 19:08.67; 42. Phillip Davis, 19:17.68; 44. Matt Laue, 19:18.70; 47. Garrett Brown, 19:26.18; 59. Anthony Riherd, 19:53.52; 84. Luke Larson, 23:11.33.

Van Buren — 31. Niles Mercer, 18:52.59; 35. Corey Cook, 19:01.18; 60. Wes Atwood, 19:56.87; 79. Stephen Pedrick, 22:21.21; 88. Dane Dickinson, 25:23.36.