Shenandoah boys cross country thinking big this season
Expectations are high this season for the Shenandoah boys cross country team.
The Mustangs opened the season ranked ninth in Class 2A by the Iowa Association of Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches and finished three points behind Creston in the first meet of the season Tuesday, Aug. 25, at home.
A couple seniors are among the leaders of this year’s in Carter Buttry and Luke Daoust. Buttry was an individual state qualifier last season and finished sixth overall at the season-opening meet in Shenandoah.
Shenandoah seniors Carter Buttry (left) and Luke Daoust (center), along with sophomore Mason Sells (right) lead this year’s Mustangs, who are ranked in the preseason top 10 and have big goals this season
“It’s pretty nice,” Buttry said on being a senior. “It’s a little sad because this is our last year.”
“It’s definitely sad,” Daoust added. “I have loved this program for so long and definitely want to make this year the best that I can.”
Buttry’s finishing time of 18:28 was 16 seconds ahead of Daoust, who finished eighth.
“Our practices are very competitive,” Daoust said. “It’s good to have those competitive practices because it pushes us daily to be better and helps us during race day.”
Buttry and Daoust were the second and third fastest Mustangs Tuesday as sophomore Mason Sells, also a state qualifier last year, came in second overall in 17:16, the fastest Mustang ever for the Early Bird meet, which has been around since 2017.
“It felt really good,” Sells said on the first meet. “Carter and I were really competing with (meet champion) Jeffrey Gross early. We were close to him at the mile mark and then he got away from me in the second mile and he ran a really good race. I closed hard on the third mile and finished strong.”
While the Mustangs have several key pieces back from last year’s team, freshman Leo Weber stepped in as the fourth fastest Mustang Tuesday, taking 10th overall. Jonas Gutierrez, who also medaled with a 14th-place showing, was the final scorer Tuesday for the Mustangs.
“Our team definitely has a lot of talent,” Daoust said. “We have a freshman coming up in Leo Weber who’s a great aspect to the team. And then Jonas, and really all our varsity, is pushing each other. Having that much good talent is a big thing that pushes us to be better every day.”
Will Stevenson and Greyson Kinghorn were a big part of last season’s team and were the sixth and seventh Mustangs to finish Tuesday to make up the varsity lineup.
The Mustangs travel to Glenwood Saturday and Clarinda Sept. 8 for their next two meets. Shenandoah hosts its annual invitational Thursday, Oct. 1. Shenandoah’s first Western Iowa Conference meet is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 12, at AHSTW.
Shenandoah freshman Leo Weber made his high school debut Tuesday, Aug. 25, and finished 10th in a field of more than 80 athletes on his home course.
Shenandoah junior Jonas Gutierrez runs to the finish line Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the season-opening early bird meet. Gutierrez placed 14th, the fifth-fastest Mustang in the field.
Related
Top finishers and both race starts from Tuesday’s Shenandoah cross country meet
