Roundup: A-P XC starts season at Maynes Grove

HAMPTON – Aplington-Parkersburg girls and boys cross country started the season at Thursday's Iowa Falls-Alden Invitational at Maynes Grove in Hampton on Thursday evening.

The A-P girls were third out of 10 teams, led by Sophia Jungling's third-place finish in 19 minutes, 57 seconds. Lily Hovenga was fifth in 22:14, Miranda Oldenburger 16th in 23:44 and Sommer Stotler and Ella Junker rounded out the top five in 22nd (24:15) and 37th (24:56), respectively.

Humboldt won the girls' team title, led by meet medalist Bryce Gidel's run of 19:30. Mason City Newman was second with 66 points, 17 points ahead of the Falcons with 83 points. Iowa Falls-Alden/AGWSR was fourth with 97 points.

Jack Maitland led the A-P boys with a 24th-place run in 19:51 as the Falcons finished sixth with 162 points in the team standings. Erik Sceglovs was 29th in 20:12, followed by Riley Oberhauser in 33rd in 20:25, Christian Eilers running 20:34 for 35th and Elijah Switzer completing the course in 21:04, placing 41st.

Humboldt won the boys title as well with 31 points. Mason City Newman was the runner-up with 50 points and South Hardin was third with 86 points.

A-P volleyball outlasts AGWSR in home opener

PARKERSBURG – Aplington-Parkersburg volleyball left the gym on Thursday with more than just a season-opening win.

The Falcons proved to themselves that they could go the distance in a five-set triumph over AGWSR in front of a home crowd in Parkersburg.

A-P won 22-25, 25-13, 25-17, 21-25, 15-5. AGWSR fell to 1-1 overall in defeat.

"Before the girls would lose that first game and maybe fall apart," A-P head coach Erin Huddleson said. "They came together and got the second and third game and fought and finished when it came apart a bit in the fourth game."

A-P competes at a Fort Dodge St. Edmond tournament on Saturday.

Kvale, Wolverines run at Charles City Early Bird

Dike-New Hartford freshman Taylor Kvale won her first varsity cross country meet on Thursday at Wildwood Golf Course, winning the girls race in 20 minutes flat.

The race also included teams from Charles City, Denver and Waverly-Shell Rock. No team scores were kept.

Rachel Wardell placed ninth for D-NH in 22:27. Alexis Jensen finished 11th in 22:30, Kaity Houts took 13th in 22:39 and Zoie Callan was 16th in 23:13.

Returning state qualifier Seth Wibben placed third in the boys race in 18:00, one of three Wolverines in the top ten on Thursday including Conlee Lyons (6th, 18:19) and Sawyer Loger (8th, 18:30).

Read more in next week's Eclipse.