FORT DODGE – The Fort Madison Bloodhound trio that spent some time racing around Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge Friday morning, didn’t leave with medals. But to a person they left with smiles on their faces and the memories of running with the fastest distance runners in the state.
The best finish of the day for the Bloodhounds was junior Avery Rump’s 45th in the girls 3A run after finishing fourth last year. Rump ran a 19:55.70 this year compared to the 18:54 in her sophomore campaign.
Rump has been battling some lingering health issues this year, but gutted out a top 10 qualifying time in Pella last week to earn her third trip to Fort Dodge. But she said this year has been different.
“It’s been a different year all together. I’m pretty proud of myself for going under 20 for sure and just finishing. But today it was a battle,” Rump said.
She said not having the other Lady Hounds with her was sad. The girls team just missed qualifying as a team by one point out of the qualifier. The girls had one of their best seasons as a team in many years.
“It was weird not having my team here. Not having anyone with me warming up. It was sad for me, and I was really missing them.," Rump said.
"I feel like having a team here to run with me on the course would have been different. Some of my teammates did come up here, but it wasn’t the same as having them run with me. I don’t know what was bothering me today, my body just hurt.”
Her father, Matt Rump, said it was different year for Avery.
“We had to talk with her a couple races into the season, and it was some of the same things she went through last year. She struggled with some heat, and we wanted her to go out a little slower which would have helped the team, too," he said.
"Then she had a couple good ones, but we were struggling to finish. She didn’t finish Cedar Rapids and then at Fairfield and Fort Madison she was really struggling. She seemed to respond a little better as the year went on.”
He agreed that not having her team, especially her twin sister Addison with her, was difficult.
“She didn’t have to worry about the team up here, but honestly, not having her team out there with her was probably pretty tough,” he said.
In the previous two state runs, there was always other teammates in the box to start with Rump.
Jacob Shottenkirk also made his third trip to Kennedy Park and the senior said he was just enjoying the run despite again being nagged by a side cramp in the latter part of the race.
He finished his senior year with an 83rd place 17:32.9. Teammate Riley Tripp finished 89th at 17:41.7.
“The race didn’t go like I expected. I did get a side stitch again about the last half mile but I’m not that mad about it because I’m just happy to be here,” Shottenkirk said.
He started in the first box on the right side of the chute, which was a different experience for him, but he said he liked it and it didn’t hurt his performance.
“I think everyone is just getting better up here. I’m not going to beat myself up for it because I just wanted to enjoy it this year,” he said.
Shottenkirk didn’t start running competitively until junior high. He ran as just something different to do and as freshman he almost gave it up.
“I didn’t feel it, but I pushed through and it ended up being one of my favorite years and it’s been fun as a team ever since,” he said.
He's also a starter on the Bloodhound soccer team and he said he enjoys how it's about team success. However, he’s learned to deal with the independence of running competitively.
“It meant something more than just going on a run and being forced to do it. I coped with it that, and made it a thing I liked for myself.
His mother Ashley also ran cross country under current Head Coach Brian Mendez. She suggested to her son that he might enjoy running.
“I couldn’t be more proud of him,” she said. “Starting out it was something he enjoyed but when his freshman year came about he had mixed emotions and didn’t really want to do it. Then he just kinda went for it and was all in after that.”
His father Greg said Jacob enjoys the team concept of both soccer and cross country.
“He really wanted to see them all get here, but I think he knows what he has to do by himself individually and mentally to perform every time,” Greg said.
Tripp was running in his second 3A boys state meet after qualifying as freshman with boys team. He said it's tough getting a handle on how fast the runners are in Fort Dodge.
“The start’s always really fast and we’re not used to that so I was tired at about the second mile or so,” Tripp said.
He said he likes temperatures a little warmer, but the thermostat showed just over 50 at race time.
“I like it a little warmer but I don’t think that had anything to do with my time today,” he said.
“It wasn’t my best race. I wanted to get below 17 and finished at 17:40 so I'm not thrilled with that, but not unhappy either.”
Mendez said the boys and girls teams had great seasons with plenty of individual successes. He said Rump is going to have individual accolades but deep down she’s a team girl.
“She sell those out for her team in her heartbeat,” he said. “Devastated? Yeah, she was, but it’s part of the deal. But those girls not getting here doesn’t mean we didn’t have a tremendous season. We had so many positives with the girls and the boys. We just got snake bit at the end.”
Pella finished in the top three spots in the girls run with Marissa Ferebee setting a new course record at 16:30.9. That would've been a top 20 time in the boys run.
Epworth Western Dubuque's Quentin Nauman won the boys 3A event with a crazy sub 15 minute 14.59.6.
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