This week marks one of the unofficial kick offs to the fall sports season when Iowa Mennonite School cross country hosts their annual early bird meet Tuesday. IMS Cross Country had a successful season last year, sending three runners to the state meet in Fort Dodge. Riley Schmeider and Renee Buckwalter participated on the girls side while Kirby Shetler was a state qualifier for the boys.

This meet hosts a very diverse and large field with 16 total teams participating. These schools range from 4A schools such as Muscatine, Cedar Rapids Jefferson and Iowa City, City High to schools in the KCII listening area including Washington, Wapello, Highland, Winfield-Mt. Union, WACO, Keota and Lone Tree. This week IMS Head Cross Country Coach Marty Gingerich talked about what it’s like for IMS to be able to host an event like this.

“It’s a long standing meet, the meets are built over a period of time. We establish a date on the calendar and use the same date every year. Right now we are at 16 teams it’s been that way for several years. It’s a unique thing where a 1A school is hosting a meet that includes 4A teams. This particular meet we host on the school campus, half of the course is around the athletic fields, and half the course is along a path in the woods. It’s a nice setting for running. It brings a lot of people to the campus. There will between 60 and 100 runners in each of four races.

The IMS early bird cross country meet begins at 5PM Tuesday on the campus at Iowa Mennonite School.