Top area cross country athletes will lace up their running shoes at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Wapello tonight for the 2022 Southeast Iowa Super Conference Championships.  The Columbus Community Wildcats were the boys’ runner-up team last season and are hitting their stride at just the right time, entering the 1A rankings for the first this week at #19. Four Columbus boys set personal records last time out at Wartburg College on Saturday, including medalist Damian Vergara finishing 35th. On the girls’ side, Columbus has been paced most of the year by Naveiah Garza, who had the top time in 115th place.

The host Winfield-Mount Union Wolves will look to build on their third-place finish as a boys’ team from last year. Kholby Newsom had WMU’s top time at their home meet last Thursday, finishing fourth in 18 minutes and 21 seconds. Afton Wilkerson was the top girls’ finisher for the Wolves last time out, ending up 18th in over 26-and-a-half minutes. The WACO Warriors had solid times at Heritage Oaks last week as well, with Justine Lynn leading the girls in 12th and Keriran Luitjens pacing the boys in 14th.

Other Super Conference runners will seek to build on recent momentum. Lone Tree’s Vivian Zaruba had a top-30 time at the conference meet last year and was 25th at Hillcrest Academy on Monday. Jadin Grieser had the top time for the Lion boys in 57th place. Hillcrest’s Micah Gerber will try to improve on finishing 34th at his home meet, while the Ravens’ Delaney Shaw was the top girls’ time in 43rd. The Highland Huskies have been off since the Washington meet last Tuesday, where Siena Stanerson finished 37th and Jackson Schneider was 68th.

New London and Pekin are the reigning Super Conference boy and girl team champions, respectively, and will look to defend those titles again starting just after 4:30 this afternoon at Twin Lakes Golf Course in Winfield.