Waukon 2014 boys cross country team runs to first State Meet qualification in six seasons

The 2014 Waukon boys cross country season provided a great deal of “firsts” for fourth-year head coach Tara Stein, the greatest among those being the first time she has coached a team or individual runner to State Meet qualification. After a five-year complete absence from the season grand finale held at Fort Dodge each season, Coach Stein guided both her team - with its third-place State Qualifying Meet finish - and an individual runner - sophomore Tyler O’Neill and his seventh-place State Qualifying Meet finish - to every high school cross country team’s ultimate destination.

“The boys capped off a great season at the State Meet in Fort Dodge,” Coach Stein said. “We gained some very valuable State Meet experience running against some of the best that the state has to offer. For us to be able to qualify for the State Meet for the first time in six years was huge, you can’t get that all important State Meet experience if you don’t qualify.”

That Class 2A State Qualifying Meet where the Indians ran to their first State Meet qualification since the 2006 season also proved to be the first time Coach Stein has had all seven of her varsity runners finish the same 5K race in under 20 minutes, proving what kind of effort it takes to reach that ultimate destination. Additional “firsts” for Coach Stein included having one of her runners finish a 5K race in under 17 minutes - O’Neill also running to All-Conference honors this season in addition to his individual State Qualifying effort, and having three runners finish a 5K course in under 18 minutes.

 

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