After taking a week to soak in and appreciate one of the best days in West Liberty cross-country history, the Comets went back out to create more.
The Comets did that, and then some, returning to action at the 2024 Solon Invitational at Solon’s Recreation and Nature Area on Monday.
Here, taking advantage of a cool night and a flat course, freshman Carlos Meraz set West Liberty’s freshman boys’ cross-country record with a 17:40.4 time.
It was good for 12th place overall at this meet and it was his first time under 18 minutes this season.
He helped the boys’ team take eighth place out of nine schools at this Solon meet featuring some heavy hitters in the eastern Iowa area.
Mount Vernon-Lisbon won the event bolstered by taking the top two spots on the individual leaderboard from Grady Olberding (16:03.5) and Dawson Scheil (16:36.0).
The Mustangs won the meet with 43 team points. Behind them, in order, were Tipton (67), Cedar Rapids Xavier (111), Solon (122), Williamsburg (123), Springville (124), Davenport North (133), West Liberty (197) and Clinton (210).
West Liberty wasn’t done with setting new records. Scoring for the boys’ varsity team was sophomore Jonathan Juarez (18:44.8 — 34th), freshman Noah Garcia (19:24.4 — 44th), freshman Damian Gonzalez (20:00.5 — 51st) and junior Cameron Elizondo (23:31.9 — 62nd).
This was Juarez’s first time under 19 minutes, Garcia’s first time under 20 minutes and new personal records from Gonzalez (by 102 seconds) and Elizondo (56 seconds).
Last season, the Comets did not have any runners go sub-20 minutes. This year, they have four at 20:00 or better.
The varsity girls also set sensational season and personal records.
Sophomore Addison Guerra (23:14.9 — 36th) and sophomore Madelyn Deahr (23:20.1 — 37th) pack ran the race to set new times to beat.
Those are the third and fourth fastest West Liberty girls’ times over the 5K distance.
Guerra and Deahr were the only Comets to compete in the varsity section, so West Liberty was ineligible for a team score.
The Solon girls won their home meet, beating out Mount Vernon-Lisbon 49 to 58. Other scoring teams were Tipton (86), Williamsburg (87), Clinton (114), Cedar Rapids Xavier (130) and Davenport North (210).
Tipton’s Noelle Steines won yet another meet this season. She did so here by over one minute with her time of 18:27.9.
For West Liberty’s teams, they will suit up again after another week of rest and practice. They will take to 3-30 Golf and Country Club in Lowden for the Bill Bails Invitational on the final day of September.