West Fork duo have tough second state cross country meet

FORT DODGE – Neither Kacie Eisentrager or Cail Weaver thought their second state cross country meet went as well as they’d hoped it would.

The West Fork junior and senior, respectively, had their ups and downs on the 3.1-mile course at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Eisentrager said she had a good start, but felt she faded in finishing 77th out of 152 runners in the Class 1A field.

“I really feel like I started out a lot better than last year,” Eisentrager said. “I just didn’t really have stamina; I was too sore, I didn’t eat enough and that was all on me. I didn’t do what I needed to. I really had in my mind that I felt a lot better than I did. It’s really sad, but I still have next year and I’m really going to push for that.”

Weaver, meanwhile, developed aches in both of his sides during the course of the race, finishing 90th out of 152 competitors in the boys’ 1A field.

“I felt pretty good at the beginning,” Weaver also said. “I fell off right after the first mile; I had a side ache on both sides, unfortunately. Compared to last year, I ran time-wise a lot better last year. It’s unfortunate I didn’t run as well as I did (before), but I guess that’s how it has to go.”

Eisentrager clocked in at 22 minutes, 15 seconds for her finish. That time compared to her 2019 run of 21:57.9.

Weaver ran to 18:51, which was 40 seconds back when he ran with a full Warhawk contingent last year.

While Eisentrager said the wind, which gusted up to 50 miles per hour during both races, was a factor for her, Weaver said the side aches were more of an issue for him overall.

“Every time I got near (head)wind, the girls ahead of me really pulled away,” Eisentrager said, “and I couldn’t stay behind them and try to draft a little bit off of them.”

Weaver added, “The wind wasn’t too bad, really just before even the mile I had a side ache on both sides and that’s really what affected me the whole way. The wind, since there were such tight packs, I didn’t get too much of it.”

Still, Weaver had a few more seasons ahead of him to close out his senior year. He was a part of the basketball fourth-place Class 1A team state finish for the Warhawks in 2019 and will look for some redemption after missing the 2019 Spring season due to COVID-19.

“I’m really looking forward to basketball and track,” Weaver said. “We’ll have a really good track season this year, as well. It will be fun.”

2020 Class 1A State Cross Country

West Fork girls finish– 77. Kacie Eisentrager 22:15.0.

West Fork boys finish– 90. Cail Weaver 18:51.0.