The Pekin cross country teams delivered strong performances Thursday at the Iowa State 1A Qualifier at Wildwood Park, with the boys team punching their ticket to state and standout runner Chloe Glosser claiming an individual state berth with a first-place finish in the girls race.
Boys Qualify as Team
The Pekin boys secured a team qualification for the state meet with a second-place finish, scoring 69 points behind 10th-ranked Louisa-Muscatine’s 55. Seventh-ranked WACO finished third with 77 points in the 15-team field.
Cole Millikin led the Panthers with a first-place individual finish, earning an automatic state qualification. Lane Fariss placed fifth and Mason Dahlstrom took sixth, giving Pekin three runners in the top seven. Both Fariss and Dahlstrom would have qualified individually with their top-10 finishes, though their team qualification takes precedence.
Landon Fariss contributed a 28th-place finish, while Brody Sobaski placed 31st and Clayton Harvey finished 36th. Hayden Miller completed the Panthers’ lineup in 78th place.
Glosser Dominates Girls Race
Chloe Glosser captured the individual title in the girls race, earning her spot at the state meet with a commanding first-place performance. Her victory highlights a stellar season for the Pekin senior.
The Pekin girls team finished sixth overall with 116 points in the seven-team race. Fifth-ranked Martensdale-St. Marys claimed the team title with 43 points, followed by 10th-ranked English Valleys (68) and North Mahaska (83).
Abby Guise was Pekin’s second finisher, placing 21st overall. Maddy Petrehn followed in 34th, while Hailey Pedrick (44th), Callie Deutschle (46th), and Bree Earnest (48th) rounded out the top six. Harper Guise completed the Pekin contingent with a 53rd-place finish.
State Meet Set for Fort Dodge
The Pekin boys team will compete at the state meet in Fort Dodge at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course on Saturday, November 1st, while Glosser will represent the Panthers in the girls individual competition. The Class 1A girls race is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., followed by the Class 1A boys race at 2:45 p.m. The awards ceremony will take place at 3:30 p.m.
The state meet will provide an opportunity for the Panthers to showcase their talents against Iowa’s best 1A competition, with the boys team seeking a strong team finish and Glosser aiming to build on her qualifying race victory.
