Lynx boys surprise everyone, place 3rd at own invite - The Daily Freeman Journal
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Lynx boys surprise everyone, place 3rd at own invite
No. 3-ranked Algona, sophomore star McMahon run away with titles
By Troy Banning, DFJ Sports Editor
POSTED: September 3,
2008
WEBSTER CITY - Class 3A third-ranked Algona and its
sophomore all-state star Ryan McMahon were certainly the
featured attractions on Tuesday at the Lynx Invitational
cross country meet. Still, it's impossible to overlook what a
young and virtually unknown Webster City squad
accomplished.
Article Photos
With more questions in its lineup than your run-of-the-mill
standardized test, Webster City proved that tradition is a
pretty hard thing to erase.
Algona, which competed without No. 2 runner Chad
Rutledge due to a sore foot, ran away with the team title at
the Webster City Links, as the Bulldogs put up 56 points to
out-gun runner-up Boone by 16 points. But back in third miles ahead of where most coaches expected it to be - was
Webster City with 98. The Lynx finished 22 points ahead of
fourth-place finisher and 2A sixth-ranked Eagle Grove and
24 points in front of 1A seventh-ranked Fort Dodge St.
Edmond.
Webster City returned just three varsity regulars off of last
year's squad, leaving some to believe that the program's
best days were in the rearview mirror. But those thoughts
may need to be reconsidered.
"We surprised the heck out of a lot of people, myself
Troy Banning/Freeman-Journal
Ben Lambert placed fifth at Tuesday’s
Lynx Invite to propel Webster City to a
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Lynx boys surprise everyone, place 3rd at own invite - The Daily Freeman Journal
included," Webster City head coach Tony Bussan said of his
crew of seven. "It's exciting because a lot of people thought
we were just going to drift away and into the shadows. But
that's not going to happen, not with these guys."
McMahon - the top-rated individual in 3A who was third at
last year's state meet - ran comfortably out front the entire
race en route to his second straight Lynx Invite crown. He
kept Prairie Valley's Shane Warehime by his side for much
of the trek before putting the hammer down and winning in
16 minutes 33 seconds. Warehime was second in 16:47.
Ben Lambert, Webster City's unquestioned leader, gave the
Lynx a good place to start with a fourth-place finish in
17:15. He was nine seconds off the pace of bronze medalist
Parker Drake of AGWSR Ackley.
"I was very pleased with the leadership that Ben showed,"
Bussan said.
The key to the Lynx surge up the leaderboard was the next
wave of runners. Sophomore Alex Lamp, freshman Mason
Powers and junior Matt Severe all kept close tabs on one
another over every hill and the end result was an awful lot
of gold crossing the finish line in succession.
Lamp placed 20th in 18:08, Powers was 21st in 18:14 and
Severe took 22nd in 18:15.
"We ran a tremendous pack with those three guys," Bussan
said. "Alex Lamp really stepped forward and Mason really
got after it right out of the gate. To have those guys right
there in 20th, 21st and 22nd was huge."
third-place result in the team standings.
Fact Box
Team Standings
1. Algona 56; 2. Boone 72; 3. Webster
City 98; 4. Eagle Grove 120; 5. Fort
Dodge St. Edmond 122; 6. Fort Dodge
Senior High 166; 7. Prairie Valley 184;
8. Hampton-Dumont 209; 9. RolandStory 226; 10. Belmond-Klemme 255;
11. Southeast Webster-Grand 303; 12.
AGWSR Ackley 309; 13. ClarionGoldfield 376; Humboldt NTS.
Individual Top 10
1. Ryan McMahon (A) 16:33; 2. Shane
Warehime (PV) 16:47; 3. Parker Drake
(AGWSR) 17:06; 4. Ben Lambert (WC)
17:15; 5. Josh Madsen (SE) 17:20; 6.
Brogan Austin (B) 17:22; 7. Jacob
Trunnell (FDSH) 17:31; 8. Mitch Hill
(EG) 17:32; 9. Zach Thompson (EG)
17:33; 10. Alex Kenne (A) 17:43.
Other Webster City Results
20. Alex Lamp 18:08; 21. Mason
Powers 18:14; 22. Matt Severe 18:15;
31. Zach Turner 19:22; 37. Mason
Hedeen 19:34; 49. Austin Elm 20:14.
Zach Turner, a varsity rookie, gave Webster City its fifth
scoring position. He crossed the finish line in 31st (19:22).
Mason Hedeen (37th, 19:34) and Austin Elm (49th, 20:14) rounded out the Lynx roster.
Just how did Webster City vault all the way up to third against a field of 13 other teams and 81 other
runners? Bussan says it points directly to the work ethic of his athletes.
"We've had six guys that have just absolutely been going to the wall because they want to honor our
tradition and be the best that they can be," he said. "They honored our tradition (Tuesday night). They
put it out there and said we're not going away and it's nice to see kids that bust their butts get rewarded
for it."
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Lynx boys surprise everyone, place 3rd at own invite - The Daily Freeman Journal
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