Brett Jones Oct. 24, 2005

Central runners eye high finish at league meet

PELLA—A veteran Central College men's cross country team and a surprising women's squad are both eyeing high finishes at the Iowa Conference meet in Cedar Rapids Saturday. The 6,000-meter women's race starts at 11 a.m. at Jones Park with the 8,000-meter men's race at noon.  A women's JV race begins at 12:45 p.m. with the men's JV going at 1:30 p.m.

Central's men finished fourth in the league the past two years and haven't finished higher than that since placing third in 1992. But coach Jeff Bovee thinks the Dutch can crack the top three and even make a run at second.  Wartburg is a heavy favorite for the team title, with Luther likely next but the Norse must hold off Central and Loras.

“It's really going to be a battle for second place,” Bovee said. “Loras has really stepped it up the last couple of meets. Their top runners are really tough.  Luther, on paper, is probably the favorite for second.  They just beat you with depth.  Adam Bohach is their top runner but their 2-7 runners are all within 15-20 seconds.”

Central junior Adam Wolf (Corning) was 16th at the league meet in Pella a year ago and 14th in 2003, but Bovee thinks he could finish near the top Saturday.  Wartburg's Keith Solverson is the meet favorite with Luther's Bohach expected to place second, but not without a challenge from Wolf.  The Dutch haven't had an individual in the top five since Andy Goodman won the 1994 league crown.

Wolf won the Central Dutch Invitational Sept. 3 and placed second at the St. Olaf Invitational Sept. 17. He dropped his career-best time 30 seconds with a 25:18 clocking at the Brissman-Lundeen Invitational at Davenport Sept. 23. Even his slowest time of the season, 26:28 at the Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Border States Invitational Oct. 8, is still 56 seconds faster than his conference finish last season.

Bryan George (senior, Pella), who turned in a 25:43 at the Davenport meet, T.J. Weiler (senior, Ankeny), Joe Jefferson (junior, Decorah), Michael McLoughlin (senior, Fort Dodge), Brett Jones (junior, Knoxville) and Brian Respeliers (junior, Council Bluffs, St. Albert HS) will also compete for the Dutch.

“We've got to have our front runners up with Loras's and Luther's top guys,” Bovee said.  “Bryan (George) has been running about a minute off Adam (Wolf). We've got to run within 30 seconds. 

“We need all of our runners to run well on the same day. Usually we have four or five run well but Saturday we need everybody because (Loras, Luther and Central) will probably be within 15 points of each other.”