But it didn’t stop Smith from finishing in 12th and becoming the first boys’ cross country individual to make the State Meet since Zach Wells and Christian Kremer qualified in 2011. It’s the first time a player has qualified under head coach Chad Pietig.

Smith said braving the cold was worth it.

“It was so cold I literally couldn’t feel my wrists or ears,” Smith said. “Now I have a headache. But it was worth it.”

Smith’s personal-best time of 16:42.9 got him comfortably inside the top-15 finishers. The run is a testament to the work Smith put in prior to the 2020 season, Pietig said. He added that once track and field was canceled in the spring due to the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Iowa, Smith put all of his focus into the fall cross country season.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

Smith was one of two top-40 finishers for the Bobcats Wednesday as they ended their season with a seventh-place team finish to end the season. Marshalltown recorded a team score of 201, with 40th-place Jason Strand the second-best runner for the Bobcats with a time of 18:07.2. Senior Noah Hermanson closed out his career in 45th place and ran an 18:40.1.

But Smith’s feat was the story of the day, and Pietig said it provides instant validation to Smith’s preseason training.

“That’s the important thing, is it shows him he didn’t waste his time,” Pietig said. “When you set a goal like that, and you literally run that goal down, it just validates everything you’ve done. It’s exciting.”

The girls’ team had a surprising finish to its final meet of the season. Finishing fifth in the team standings with a score of 158, the Bobcats were not led by junior star Phoebe Hermanson in her return from a calf problem but by sophomore Micah Blevins for the second straight event. Blevins came in 24th place and ran a time of 21:04.0, beating Hermanson after trailing her early on in the race. Hermanson finished in 30th with a time of 12:34.0.

For Blevins, the run was another sign that the sophomore is coming into her own as a runner, head coach Stacy O’Hare said.

The story is different for Hermanson, who was a star in her first two seasons at varsity level, carrying the Bobcats in both years. The 2020 season has been filled with injury struggles, though — first with breathing difficulties at the opening meet of the season, then with a hip issue and finally the calf tightness that held her out of the CIML Iowa Conference meet last week at Iowa State University.

O’Hare said it’s been a season Hermanson will have to bounce back from.

“It has been a very rough season for her,” O’Hare said. “It’s been quite the emotional roller coaster, I think. I think the important thing she has to remember is that she’s not a senior and she has another year left. She needs to be proud of the things that she has done this year because there are a lot of times that you look at where she was last year and she really wasn’t that far off. For her to be able to do that with the injuries and limited practices, she should feel good about that, and I think she does.”

Senior Odaly Flores ended her career with a 36th placed finish and Grace Rasmussen finished in 31st. Flores is one of three seniors who competed in their final meet Wednesday along with Makenna Ainsworth and Maggie Augustine.

The boys’ and girls’ teams are young, and both coaches have seen signs of growth that will give fans promise for next season.

Smith’s appearance at State Oct. 30 in Fort Dodge will be another boost to the Bobcats heading into 2021.

“Obviously I’ll try to do something at State this year,” Smith said. “But next year I’ll know how the State meet feels and I’ll be more prepared.”

State-Qualifying Cross Country

CLASS 4A

At Marshalltown

GIRLS

Team standings — 1. WDM Valley 25, 2. Waukee 53, 3. Ankeny 57, 4. Cedar Falls 93, 5. Marshalltown 158, 6. CR Washington 193, 7. Waterloo United 208, 8. CR Jefferson 210.

Individual (top 10) — 1. Lauren McMahon, ANK, 18.21.0; 2. Lauren Schulze, VAL, 18:24.0; 3. Addison Dorenkamp, VAL, 19:00.4; 4. Kamryn Ensley, VAL, 19:06.0; 5. Peyton Kelderman, WAU, 19:21.8; 6. Madeline Hollander, VAL, 19:28.9; 7. Margaux Basart, WAU, 19:38.8; 8. Molly Bannister, WAU, 19:40.6; 9. Jenna Pitz, WAU, 19:47.6; 10. Emily Bright, VAL, 19:49.6.

MARSHALLTOWN (158) — 24. Micah Blevins 21:04.0, 30. Phoebe Hermanson 21:34.0, 31. Grace Rasmussen 21:39.9, 36. Odaly Flores 22:07.2, 37. Rachel Smith 22:26.9, 44. Makenna Ainsworth 23:34.3, 46. Maggie Augustine 23:48.4.

BOYS

Team standings — 1. Cedar Falls 20, 2. Waukee 43, 3. WDM Valley 112, 4. Ankeny 115, 5. CR Washington 135, 6. CR Jefferson 144, 7. Marshalltown 201, 8. Waterloo United 210.

Individual (top 10) — 1. Jacob Christensen, WAU, 15:56.2; 2. Eli Smith, CF, 16:00.8; 3. Michael Goodnebour, CF, 16:03.6; 4. Brayden Burnett, CF, 16:04.6; 5. TJ Tomlyanovich, CF, 16:08.1; 6. Joel Burris, CF, 16:08.6; 7. Vincent Hodges, WAU, 16:15.0; 8. Lucas Lamparek, CRJ, 16:36.8; 9. Jonah Christensen, WAU, 16:37.3; 10. Nathan Holstrom, WAU, 16:39.3.

MARSHALLTOWN (201) — 12. Conner Smith 16:42.9, 40. Jason Strand 18:07.2, 45. Noah Hermanson 18:40.1, 51. Ethan Benscoter 19:12.9, 53. Anthoneih Kopsa 19:25.4, 55. Marco Herrera 19:39.5.