Comets speed into 2023 season with confidence

2022 Results: Cayden McLeland 56th and Abby Kemp 44th at State Cross Country, Girls fourth and Boys third in Iowa Star Conference Meet 

Head Coach: Donna Fiscus 

BCLUW cross country’s first season in the Iowa Star Conference didn’t produce the results the Comets had hoped for. While the program did qualify Abby Kemp and Cayden McLeland to the State meet in 2022, Coach Donna Fiscus knows there was little disappointment at the end of the season. 

“We thought as a team we could do better,” Fiscus said. “With the conference meet, we had a few people off and didn’t go as we hoped.  I know they have an itch to get themselves to the state meet, especially our girls. They have been thinking about it ever since.”

Kemp, the Iowa Star Conference individual champion, qualified for State in Fort Dodge as a sophomore and placed 44th with a time of 20:51.47. Junior Kalia Stover was three places away from joining her last season and after a successful season in track, Stover appears poised to make that jump for the Comets. BCLUW returns varsity runners in sophomore Izzy Morris, sophomore Bella Stotts, junior Devin Peterson and sophomore Leila Wegdwood. The Comets add freshman Ceanna White and Swedish foreign exchange student Rebecca Balter.

 “Abby and Kalia have been runners for a long time and are competitive with each other,” Fiscus said. “Ceanna has put in some time this summer and is already doing a good job. This group of girls has great chemistry together and really works hard. After watching Abby at State last year, I think they see what it takes to get there.”

The boys saw five seniors, including McLeland, graduate in May. Junior Cayden white was four places away from qualifying for State and also had a successful track season back in the spring. Fellow juniors Jacob Castell and Zach Morris were also running varsity last season. Junior Colton Donaldson has put in the miles this summer according to Fiscus and the boys have one senior in Tucker Wedgwood.

“The guys know it will take a lot of work with only seven runners out this season,” Fiscus said. “These juniors have been in a lot of miles over the summer. Cayden is doing outstanding and you can tell he wants to be at State. I’m excited to see what they do in their first race.”

Outside of competing in their new conference meet, BCLUW hasn’t changed their schedule and will continue to compete mainly with their former NICL rivals. Fiscus holds a lot of respect for the NICL in cross country, which has produced strong boys and girls teams in recent seasons. 

“We’ll continue to run in meets where we get the best quality teams,” Fiscus said. “We’re also lucky to run at Wartburg (College) and their course during the regular season, and that’s where the Iowa Star Meet is held. We want to compete with teams like Denver and East Marshall and be ready for our District meet.”

BCLUW’s motto this season is “common  people can do uncommon things”, a quote from Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder, who led the program to the national title game this April. 

“We are smaller in numbers, but why not us?” Fiscus said. “Why not get these teams back to State. It’s been a while for this program. My goal is to prepare them mentally early and then we push ourselves harder. I want them to walk away this season saying ‘yeah, I gave it my best and got what I deserved.’”

BCLUW will open its season at Pine Lake in Eldora on Thursday, Aug. 31.