Making new history: A-P girls top 10 at state

FORT DODGE – Just to be able to run and breathe at the same time would've been enough for Sophia Jungling.

The Aplington-Parkersburg junior battled through bronchitis and a sinus infection at the district meet to contribute to the Falcons' third-consecutive trip to the state cross country meet.

Jungling took some medicine to improve for Saturday's state meet, and though A-P never really shook the injury or health bug – freshman Lily Hovenga ran with a stress fracture in her foot, for one example – the Falcon girls still turned in their best performance in their school's history at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

Aplington-Parkersburg finished 10th in the Class 2A team standings with 211 points, led by Jungling's fourth-place finish, also her best placement in three trips to the state meet after a fifth in 2017 and a sixth in 2016. She finished the course in 19:22.

"It was a beautiful day to run, first of all," Jungling said. "I knew that the top five girls here were really good athletes and great people, and to finish in that top five group would be something special. I was ranked third coming in, finished fourth, and I knew that Cassidy [Ihns] girl from Crestwood, she's a great, outstanding runner and she ran well."

PHOTOS: Class 2A State Cross Country Meet

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