NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTOS BY STEVE BRANT - MSS freshman Jesse Bear runs at the South Tama Invite earlier this fall. Bear will represent the Warriors at the 2026 state cross country meet.

MITCHELLVILLE — For the second year in a row, the Meskwaki Settlement School has a cross country runner packing their bags for Fort Dodge. Freshman Jesse Bear punched his ticket to the 2026 state cross country meet by running an 18:20 for 12th place in the Class 1A state qualifying meet. Competing at the Thomas Mitchell Park in Mitchellville on Thursday, Oct. 22, Bear achieved the impressive feat in his first high school season.

“I went into the meet just trying to compete with the other schools and get into a position to qualify,” Bear said after the race. “I was kind of nervous about my chances but I thought I could do it.”

In Class 1A, the top 10 individual runners from each qualifying site head to the state meet. But with first and second place teams, Earlham and Baxter, having eight runners in the top-10 individually, the list of qualifiers is broadened to include the next three finishers. Therefore, having finished 12th, Bear secured his trip to Fort Dodge.

It was a nervous post-race scene for Bear, who had to wait for the official announcement of qualifiers from the Mitchellville site.

“I was curious to see if I made it or not. I was just waiting for an answer,” Bear reflected.

MSS freshman Jesse Bear runs on the grounds of the MSS school during his week of preparation for the 2026 state cross country meet in Fort Dodge.

“I was 99% sure he had gotten in,” said head coach Tracy Sienknecht, in her 18th season at the helm of the MSS cross country program. “I didn’t want to tell him for sure until we got the official word. But then they made the announcement and we knew.”

In his freshman season, Bear has consistently finished in the top 5 or 10 of his races. He has become known for his strong final mile — something that served him well again in Mitchellville.

“The race went out pretty fast,” Bear said. “But I tried to catch people towards the end of the race. I was pretty happy with my time.”

“We knew Earlham’s group would be strong,” Sienknecht said. “We didn’t want Jesse to try to stay with them. We wanted him to stay in the next pack and work his way up in the last mile. And he did just that. He made his move in the last mile.”

Bear will now travel to Fort Dodge this weekend to compete in the Class 1A state meet.

“It feels good. Especially being able to do it my first year,” Bear said. “I know it will be a good experience for me and it will pay off for the next three years.”

Other finishers for the MSS boys team included: junior Jarvis Bear (31st, 19:48); junior Jaymison Hill (47th, 21:03); junior Roman Trickey (74th, 24:25); and sophomore Markelle Wabaunasee (76th, 24:49). The Warriors finished eighth as a team, with 220 points, out of 12 teams.

For the Warrior girls, sophomore Bree Scabbyrobe looked to qualify for state for a second season in a row, after she made the trip to Fort Dodge in her freshman campaign. However, Scabbyrobe just missed qualifying for state in Mitchellville, as she finished in 17th place with a time of 22:02.

“Bree has been battling injuries for the last month,” Sienknecht said. “She’ll heal up and have a tremendous track season this spring. She had a great season for us — earning a lot of medals this fall. And she has the mentality and confidence to come back strong next year.”

The Warriors had four other girls who ran at Mitchellville: senior Dorothy Bear (24th, 23:34); freshman Jaslynn Hill (36th, 24:35); sophomore Martha Blackcloud (75th, 30:37); and junior Kaelonna Kahler (78th, 31:23). The girls finished ninth as a team, out of 11 scoring teams, with 184 points.

Bear will now prepare for his trip to the state meet. It’s an impressive feat for a freshman student, after having to make adjustments from middle school to high school.

“Jesse was the Iowa Star conference champion in middle school,” Sienknecht said. “But there are always adjustments to the high school level. However, from the first day of practice this year, I knew he could qualify for state. Just from his drive, confidence, and ability.”

Bear got a crash-course this past week on what to expect in Fort Dodge from his coach. Sienknecht has taken Shye Johnson (2020) and Scabbyrobe (2025) to the meet before.

“I’m still learning about what to expect there,” Bear said. “I’d love to go up there and get a personal-best time. That’s my main goal.”

Bear will run at the state cross country meet on Friday, Oct. 30. The Class 1A boys race is scheduled to begin at 11:15 a.m. at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

“It means a lot to be able to qualify in my first year,” Bear said. “It feels good to go and represent my tribe.”