WILLIAMSBURG, IA  –- The Ballard Bombers women's cross country team is headed back to the state meet after an impressive performance at the State Qualifying Meet in Williamsburg.  The Bombers finished as the runner-up, scoring 68 points — just two points behind meet champion Williamsburg (66) and ahead of a tightly packed field that saw Center Point-Urbana finish third with 73.

Wednesday's performance marks Ballard's 21st state-qualifying team appearance in program history, continuing one of the most consistent runs of success in Iowa high school cross country.

Leading the way for the Bombers was freshman Avilee Miller, who placed 4th overall with a time of 19:19.8.  Her effort not only earned her an individual state berth but also moved her into 7th all-time on Ballard's record board.  Close behind was fellow freshman Honor Jorgensen, who ran a strong race to place 7th in 20:06.6, and sophomore Raya Miller, who achieved her season goal by finishing 15th in 20:38.0 — all three earning individual state qualification.

Rounding out Ballard's scoring pack were Kaitlyn Dunn (22nd, 21:31.7), Grace Grundmeyer (23rd, 21:33.6), and Nora Showman (25th, 21:37.4), who finished within seconds of each other to secure the team's runner-up spot.  Sydney Sage also turned in a solid performance, placing 35th in 22:27.0 in her first major varsity competition.

Head coach Scott Barth praised his team's composure and depth after the race.  "It ended up being a pretty nice night for running, and the girls took advantage in clinching the program's 21st state-qualifying team," Barth said.  "We were led by a trio of runners in the top 15 who also earned individual state qualification.  Everyone stepped up and we almost pulled off the championship, coming up just two points short.  I'm really proud of this group's resilience and calm-under-pressure personality."

The Bombers were without top-four runner Brooklyn Shoen, sidelined by a stress fracture, but Barth noted the team's younger athletes filled the gap admirably.  "We'll head to Fort Dodge with a young group — three freshmen, two sophomores, and two juniors — and we'll return everyone next year," Barth added.  "I think we fit well in the top 10 and feel ready for the challenge.  Competing in central Iowa and the RRC prepares us well for state-level competition."

The Bombers will now turn its focus to the Iowa High School State Cross Country Meet on Friday, October 31, at 2:00 PM in Fort Dodge, where the Bombers will look to close out their season strong against the state's best.

Photo Credit: Davidson Photography