Young D-NH cross country team continues growth at state (PHOTOS)

FORT DODGE – With no seniors on this year's varsity team, it's another year of experience for Dike-New Hartford girls cross country.

The Wolverines finished one place higher in the team standings than their last appearance at Fort Dodge and also made time improvements across the board in an 11th-place finish in the 2A race at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge on Saturday.

The Wolverines scored 261 points, one point ahead of Waukon in 12th place and 19 short of the top 10.

Taylor Kvale earned her second state cross country individual medal with a 12th-place overall finish in 19:43.

View more photos: Dike-New Hartford at state cross country (via Grundy Register)

She scored eighth-place team points in the process. Alexis Jensen was 42nd, followed by Jadyn Bennett in 60th, Kaity Houts in 70th, Zoie Callan in 81st to round out the top five and Ella Costello and Sierra Loger placing 93rd and 96th, respectively, as non-scorers.

Bennett made the biggest cut to her time from last year's state meet, skimming almost three minutes off her 24:40 time from last season, down to 21:50 this year.

"It's all about progress," Kvale said. "The girls and I have become a lot closer, and we're all working on maintaining the presence of Dike-New Hartford cross country while trying to push toward something bigger."

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