NEWS CHRONICLE PHOTO BY STEVE BRANT - Meskwaki freshman Jesse Bear became the first Warrior boy to run at the state cross country meet last week.

As the starting gun sounded at the state cross country meet last Friday, Oct. 30, Meskwaki Settlement School freshman Jesse Bear made history. Bear became the first MSS boy to run at the state meet when he competed in the Class 1A race.

“It was special to run with all these other schools and having my family there cheering me on in every corner,” Bear said after the race.

A total of 152 runners, including Bear, started off at 11:15 a.m. under cold and windy conditions. Bear put in a strong performance and finished with a time of 17:40 to cross the line in 54th place.

“I thought the race went well considering the weather,” Bear said.

“Jesse ran very well,” added MSS head cross country coach Tracy Sienknecht.

The winner of the Class 1A race was junior Haven Weers of Tri-Center Neola, who ran a time of 15:57. The top 23 runners were under 17 minutes. It was a highly competitive team race in Class 1A, with Riverside Oakland and Earlham both finishing with 127 points. Riverside Oakland was declared the team champion, with Ankeny Christian finishing in a close third place with 129 points.

For Bear, it was a valuable experience in his freshman campaign.

“The experience was awesome,” Bear reflected. “It was a motivating atmosphere and it was special to feel recognized.”

“Jesse focused on the course and wanted to know the details of the race. These are qualities that will help him in future races and in next year’s state meet,” Sienknecht said. “His pride in running at state, and running for MSS, his family, and his tribe, shone through as he competed.”

With the completion of the race, Bear ends a tremendous debut season for the MSS high school program.

“Looking back in the season, from my first practice, I didn’t think I could come as far as I did,” Bear stated. “But now it means a lot to be the first male in my school to qualify for state. I hope to keep improving in the next 3 years.”