Introducing the 2023 All-Iowa girls high school cross country honorees
The Des Moines Register is pleased to announce the All-Iowa girls cross country teams for the 2023 season.
The teams include a six-person Elite Team, made up of the state’s best runners, regardless of class, as well as first-team selections for all four of Iowa’s classes. The teams were picked based on in-season results and observations from the Register.
Members of The Register’s All-Iowa girls cross country Elite team are nominees for the girls cross country runner of the year.
Elite team
Addison Dorenkamp, sr., West Des Moines Valley
Dorenkamp fought through an inflamed quad and glute that cost her most of her senior season to somehow find a way to win her second Class 4A individual state championship in three years.
The Alabama recruit managed to hit her stride during the 4A state cross country meet on Oct. 27 at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge. She ran the second-fastest 5-kilometer time of any runner in the state this season, winning the race in 17 minutes, 41.5 seconds.
Marissa Ferebee, soph., Pella
Ferebee followed up last year's fifth-place finish in 3A at state with her first state championship in 2023.
The sophomore ran a winning time of 18:38.6 at state on Oct. 28, just edging Harlan's Lindsey Sonderman by 3.5 seconds for the championship. Her effort helped Pella repeat as the 3A girls state champions.
Noelle Steines, jr., Calamus-Wheatland
Like Dorenkamp, Steines was injured for much of the 2023 season.
The junior runner had to battle back from an ankle injury to claim her third-consecutive 1A state championship and put herself in a position to become just the third runner ever to win four state titles when she returns for her senior season in 2024. Steines upset top-ranked Meghan Wheatley of North Linn at the state meet, running an 18:22 to beat Wheatley by 13.6 seconds in the 1A race.
Hillary Trainor, sr., Sumner-Fredericksburg
Trainor took hold of the 2A field in 2023.
The Sumner-Fredericksburg senior dominated her class all season. Trainor broke 18 minutes at Dike and she was in a class of her own at the state meet, dethroning three-time champion Danielle Hostetler of Mid-Prairie with a winning time of 18:09.5, which was over 26 seconds faster than the rest of the 2A field.
Olivia Verde, sr., Johnston
Verde was the 4A runner-up at state for the second year in a row and she helped Johnston win its second team championship in her four years as a runner for the Dragons.
Verde's time at the 2023 state meet was 17:50.7. She ran 18:01.57 at last year's state meet.
Meghan Wheatley, sr., North Linn
Though Wheatley had to settle for second place at the state meet, it does not take away from her outstanding senior season.
Wheatley was the dominant runner in 1A all season and right at the top of the entire state heading into the state meet. She broke 18 minutes on multiple occasions, with her best time of 17:40.3 at the North Linn qualifier meet ranking as the fastest among all four classes this season.
Class 4A
Drew Beason, soph., Ankeny
Addison Dorenkamp, sr., West Des Moines Valley
Claire Helmers, jr., Ames
Keelee Leitzen, sr., Dubuque Hempstead
Nakia Olivierre, soph., Waterloo West
Olivia Verde, sr., Johnston
Class 3A
Addison Dabroski, soph., Marion
Iris Dahl, soph., Washington
Marissa Ferebee, soph., Pella
Audrina Jones, fr., Sioux Center
Avery Rump, soph., Fort Madison
Lindsey Sonderman, jr., Harlan
Class 2A
Danielle Hostetler, sr., Mid-Prairie
Lauren Krogmann, fr., Starmont West Central
McKenna Montgomery, soph., Albia
Hillary Trainor, sr., Sumner-Fredericksburg
Mackenzie Wilson, jr., Jesup
Clare Wright, sr., Jesup
Class 1A
Katelyn Brandhorst, soph., Madrid
Madelyn Grothus, fr., Madrid
Nora Peterson, jr., Alta-Aurelia
Alyssa Richman, jr., Manson-Northwest Webster
Noelle Steines, jr., Calamus-Wheatland
Meghan Wheatley, sr., North Linn
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Here are the 2023 All-Iowa high school girls cross country selections
