T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON - Marshalltown freshman Phoebe Hermanson (852) leads a pack of runners during the girls’ Class 4A race to kick off Saturday’s state cross country meet in Fort Dodge.

FORT DODGE — The Iowa High School State Cross Country meet is truly a meet unlike any other, and it’s hard to know exactly how everything will shake out if you’ve never experienced it before.

Marshalltown freshman Phoebe Hermanson got that crucial experience on Saturday when she competed in her first Class 4A state race at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course, and the youngster represented the Bobcats well.

Hermanson finished in 58th out of 125 runners with a time of 20 minutes, 14.1 seconds, just two seconds behind her fastest time of the year.

Going into the meet, Hermanson said she wanted to break the 20-minute barrier, but even though she didn’t quite make that mark she is still proud of what she accomplished.

“It wasn’t really what I was hoping for but I have three years to improve that, so I am just really happy to have this experience here,” she said.

Bobcat head coach Stacy O’Hare was also thrilled with the way Phoebe ran, saying she didn’t back away from the challenge of competing with the other top girls in the state.

“I am pleased with her, she went out and worked hard,” O’Hare said. “You can’t be displeased with her efforts because she is one of those kids that is going to give it her best every time, and she did.”

Usually when Hermanson finishes a race, she stays on her feet and catches her breath while congratulating her fellow runners. Not on Saturday, however, as Hermanson dropped to her knees and eventually her back, like many of the runners who finished before and after her.

“I was definitely tired but I put it all out there, which was my goal. I’m pretty happy,” she said. “You just feel really accomplished because you finished. It hurts, but you know you did it so it feels good.”

O’Hare said Hermanson maybe got off to a quicker start than they would have liked, but given the nature of the state race that is almost a necessity.

“She had to get out, whether or not she could get out and maintain that probably was the tough part,” O’Hare said. “Her first mile time was probably the fastest that she’s run all year.”

Hermanson also pointed to her finish as something she can cut some time on in the future.

“I definitely want to improve a lot. I really need to improve my kick because I got passed a lot at the end, so we will definitely be working on that,” she said.

Not only is the race totally different, but Hermanson said the atmosphere is unlike anything she’s ever seen.

“There were so many people, there was so much energy everywhere practically. It was crazy,” she said.

Micah Poellet from Linn-Mar won the individual 4A girls title with a time of 18:03, putting her fourth on the all-time list, and Southeast Polk took home the team title with a score of 79.

With her first state meet under her belt, O’Hare said Hermanson now knows what to expect and should have plenty of motivation for returning for years to come.

“She is here, which is something so many people can’t say,” O’Hare said. “She is here and that was our first goal, she is a freshman and has a great future ahead of her. She’s the type of kid that is going to continue to work and want to get better. She has the experience under her, now next year we focus on what can we do and how do we improve? How do we get better?”