2026 Girls Cross Country Team

Ashlee Aukes

Carmen Sharp

Claire Weaver

Muren Sharp

Samantha Clouse

Shelby Keough

Sophia Reese

Tess Klaassen

Aubrey Kluver

Emie Thompson

Izzie Weaver

Brinley Blaser

Adah Sharp

Eva Sharp

Makenna Reese

Ellie Thompson

Casey Buffington

Managers: Bella Karalius, Henry Dewhurst, and Michelle Burns

2026 Boys Cross Country Team

Cooper Blaser

Daunta Berg

Dirk Zeman

Ezra Thompson

Grant Gayther

Holden Reynolds

Isaac Alphs

Tyler Niess

Brantley Schmidt

Creighton Wirth

Kai Weaver

Liam Weissenfluh

Paxton Hall

Angel Ramirez

Michael Lowell

Aiden Cummingham

Elijah Smith

Jonah Waddington

Lincoln Wirth

Luke Rhody

Tucker Wahlberg

Tyler Fox

Levi Albertson

2026 Season General Information

Meet Information - General cross-country meet information such as start times and location.
Meet Highlights - Recap on how the meet went from the coaches' standpoint.
Meet Results - Stats on how individuals have done throughout the season.

Mason City Scrimmage

The 2026 Forest City Cross Country season is off to a great start! Perfect racing weather provided an excellent opportunity to compete, test our fitness, and see where we stand early in the season.

We saw numerous PRs, meet records, strong team packs, and plenty of potential across both teams.

🔴 Girls — Strong Packs & Great Racing

The girls rocked it! Our top seven finished within 1:36, with the top five separated by just 56 seconds. The front pack raced confidently and worked together extremely well.

PRs: Adah Sharp, Brinley Blaser, Casey Buffington, Emie Thompson, Ellie Thompson, Eva Sharp, Makenna Reese, and Tess Klaassen.

Meet Records: Ashlee Aukes, Aubrey Kluver, Claire Weaver, Izzie Weaver, Muren Sharp, Samantha Clouse, Shelby Keough, and Sophia Reese.

⚫ Boys — Strong Performances & Room to Grow

The boys showed plenty of potential, with 9 athletes recording PRs and 9 improving their previous meet performances. Our top seven had a 3:10 spread, giving us a clear area to focus on as the season progresses.

PRs: Aiden Cunningham, Angel Ramirez, Elijah Smith, Grant Gayther, Jonah Waddington, Lincoln Wirth, Luke Rhody, Tucker Wahlberg, and Tyler Fox.

Meet Records: Brantley Schmidt, Creighton Wirth, Daunta Berg, Dirk Zeman, Ezra Thompson, Isaac Alphs, Kai Weaver, Liam Weissenfluh, and Paxton Hall.

🔨 The Work Starts Now

We should be proud of this start, but the work continues! There is a lot of season left to get stronger, improve our packs, build confidence, and prepare for the postseason.

Thank you to our parents, families, supporters, and community for investing in these student-athletes.

This was only the beginning—and there is a lot to look forward to!

Runners of the Meet Awards!

Emie Thompson

Samantha Clouse

Paxton Hall

Grant Gayther

Charles City

9-10 Grade Top 5

5th place - Eva Sharp

9-10 Grade Top 5

1st Place - Liam Weissenfluh

11-12 Grade Top 5

2nd Place - Samantha Clouse

5th Place - Claire Weaver

11-12 Grade Top 5

2nd Place - Grant Gayther

4th Place - Daunta Berg

Runners of the Meet Awards!

Makenna Reese

Sophia Reese

Daunta Berg

Liam Weissenfluh

Okoboji

Runners of the Meet - Tucker Walberg

Runners of the Meet - Eva Sharp

Top 20 Medalist - Daunta Berg (18), Liam Weissenfluh (4), Grant Gayther (7), Eva Sharp (15), Muren Sharp (16), Samantha Clouse (9), Sophia Reese (20), and Claire Weaver (13)

Gilbert

Runners of the Meet Awards!

Ashlee Aukes

Cooper Blaser and Aaiden Cunningham

Tess Klaassen

Samantha Clouse

Makenna Reese

Cooper Blaser

Grant Gayther

Osage Invite

Varsity Girls Medalists

Muren Sharp(6), Eva Sharp (7), Sophia Reese (10), Makenna Reese (11),

Adah Sharp (14), and Brinley Blaser (16)

Varsity Boys Medalists

Grant Gayther (1), Liam Weissenfluh(2), Cooper Blaser (6), Daunta Berg (7),

Kai Weaver(8), Dirk Zeman(11), and Tucker Walberg (12)

Junior Varsity Girls Medalists

Carmen Sharp(1), Emie Thompson (3), Shelby Keough(4th), Tess Klaassen(5),

Aubrey Kluver(6), Evonna Johnson (7), and Casey Buffington (12)

Junior Varsity Boys Medalists

Ezra Thompson (1), Angel Ramirez (2), Luke Rhody (3), Aiden Cunningham (4),

Lincoln Wirth (5), Creighton Wirth(6), Jonah Waddington(7), Isaac Alphs (8),

Elijah Smith (9), and Brantley Schmidt (10)

Runners of the Meet Awards!

Emie Thompson

Brinley Blaser

Jonah Waddington

Kai Weaver

Clear Lake Invite

Runners of the Meet Awards!

Shelby Keough

Isaac Alphs

Griak

Indians Make Their Mark at Roy Griak Invitational

Forest City delivered an exciting team performance, highlighted by strong individual efforts and a thrilling battle for third place. Grant Gayther led the Indians with a seventh-place finish and individual medalist honors, moving to ninth on Forest City’s all-time list. Liam Weissenfluh also earned individual honors with a 16th-place finish, moving to 12th all-time.

Eight Indians recorded personal bests, while Cooper Blaser added another highlight by setting a meet record. The boys’ team race came down to the final mile, with just one point separating Forest City from fourth place at the two-mile mark. The Indians responded by attacking the final mile, making key moves and creating separation. Their aggressive racing was highlighted by the Gobble Up Award, with several runners making significant passes throughout the race to help secure a hard-fought third-place finish.

Top 20 Shirt Winners!

Grant Gayther 7th place and Liam Weissenfluh 16th

3rd Place

Runners of the Meet Awards!

Claire Weaver

Ezra Thompson

Panther Invite

Girls Varsity - Meet Champions

Samantha Clouse, Claire Weaver, Sophia Reese, Makenna Reese, Brinley Blaser, Muren Sharp, Eva Sharp, and Ashlee Aukes

Girls Medalists

Samantha Clouse (6th), Claire Weaver (7th), Muren Sharp (8th), and Eva Sharp (12th)

Boys Varsity - Meet Champions

Angel Ramirez, Grant Gayther, Daunta Berg, Cooper Blaser, Liam Weissenfluh, Dirk Zeman, and Ezra Thompson

Boys Medalists

Grant Gayther (2nd), Liam Weissenfluh (6th), Cooper Blaser (7th), and Daunta Berg (12th)

Runners of the Meet Awards!

Izzie Weaver

Muren Sharp

Luke Rhody

Angel Ramirez

Algona Invite

The Algona Meet gave our runners another opportunity to compete against strong competition and experience a different challenge. After two weeks of flatter courses, the hills of Algona tested our athletes in a new way.

Middle School

Girls: Alanys Rivera recorded a PR, while Evie Wooge, Harper Smith, Kynlee Folkerts, and Mariah Roth set meet records. Harper finished 2nd and Evie 7th, helping the team to 4th place.

Boys: Foster Sharp recorded a PR, while Coby Albertson, Jericho Thompson, and Mathias Klauke set meet records. Coby finished 2nd, Mathias 10th, Jericho 19th, and Foster 20th. The team finished 2nd.

High School

Girls: Carmen Sharp, Claire Weaver, Emie Thompson, Muren Sharp, Shelby Keough, and Tess Klaassen set meet records. Varsity medalists were Claire Weaver (11th), Muren Sharp (17th), Eva Sharp (18th), Sophia Reese (29th), and Makenna Reese (32nd). The varsity girls finished 4th. An error with the timing system prevented an official JV girls result.

Boys: Angel Ramirez, Creighton Wirth, Dirk Zeman, Ezra Thompson, Isaac Alphs, Kai Weaver, and Tyler Niess set meet records. Varsity medalists were Grant Gayther (7th), Cooper Blaser (32nd), and Dirk Zeman (35th). JV finalists included Tucker Walberg (6th), Creighton Wirth (15th), Tyler Fox (19th), Aaiden Cunningham (23rd), Luke Rhody (28th), and Elijah Smith (29th). The varsity boys finished 8th and the JV boys 4th.

Reflect. Identify. Adjust. Move Forward.

The times may not have reflected what we have seen on flatter courses, but the changes in our finishing order gave us valuable information. Difficult courses and strong competition reveal how we respond when races do not go exactly as planned.

Every race does not need to be perfect. It needs to teach us something. Our job as athletes and coaches is to honestly evaluate what happened, identify what needs to improve, make adjustments, and move forward.

With the final races approaching, the focus is simple: Reflect. Identify. Adjust. Move Forward.

There are still opportunities ahead to compete, learn, support one another, and finish the season strong.

Keep moving forward.

Lake Mills

Girls Varsity - Meet Champions

Samatha Clouse, Claire Weaver, Makenna Reese, Muren Sharp, Eva Sharp, Brinley Blaser, and Sophia Reese

Girls Medalists

Claire Weaver (3rd), Samantha Clouse (4th), Muren Sharp (6th), Eva Sharp (7th), Makenna Reese (8th), and Sophia Reese (10th)

Boys Varsity - Meet Champions

Grant Gayther, Daunta Berg, Ezra Thompson, Dirk Zeman, Cooper Blaser, Kai Weaver, and Tucker Walberg

Boys Medalists

Grant Gayther (1st), Cooper Blaser (4th), Daunta Berg (6th), Ezra Thompson (8th), Kai Weaver (9th), and Dirk Zeman (10th)

Runners of the Meet Awards!

Shelby Keough

Claire Weaver

Ibuki Sato

Daunta Berg

2026 Seniors! Thank you!

Conference Meet

All Conference Girl Runners

Samantha Clouse - 8th place and Claire Weaver - 9th Place

All Conference Boy Runners

Grant Gayther 2nd place, Cooper Blaser 7th place, and Liam Weissenfluh 12th Place

Runners of the Meet Awards!

Levi Albertson

Brantley Schmidt

Casey Buffington

Tucker Walberg

Izzie Weaver

Samantha Clouse

Dirk Zeman

Middle School State - Washburn Classic

Forest City Runners Shine at Washburn Classic Middle School State Meet

ANKENY, IA — Forest City Middle School cross country delivered outstanding performances at the Washburn Classic Middle School State Championship, with both teams finishing among Iowa’s best.

The boys earned an impressive 4th-place finish out of 20 teams, led by Coby Albertson, who placed 6th in 11:39.9. Mathias Klauke finished 12th (12:01.1), followed by Jericho Thompson in 20th (12:22.2). Foster Sharp, Weston Pilgrim, and Caleb Pagel rounded out the lineup.

The girls secured 6th place statewide, led by Harper Smith’s outstanding 5th-place finish in 13:03.6. Evelyn Wooge placed 33rd, Easton Smith finished 34th, and Kynlee Folkerts completed the scoring.

State Qualifying Meet - Sioux Center

Both Boys and Girls team punched their ticket to the State Meet holding up their Banners!

Forest City Cross Country Sends Both Teams to State with District Runner-Up Finishes

Forest City Cross Country continued its postseason success Thursday in Sioux Center, as both varsity teams earned runner-up finishes at the district meet to qualify for the Iowa State Cross Country Meet in Fort Dodge.

Samantha Clouse led the Indians with a second-place finish and individual state qualification. Claire Weaver (7th) and Muren Sharp (12th) also earned All-District honors and qualified individually. All three established meet records. Eva Sharp finished 16th, narrowly missing All-District recognition, while Makenna Reese (20th), Sophia Reese (26th), and Brinley Blaser (30th) rounded out the lineup.

Grant Gayther (5th), Cooper Blaser (6th), and Liam Weissenfluh (8th) led the Indians, earning All-District honors and individual state qualifications. Gayther and Dirk Zeman also established meet records. Tucker Walberg finished less than 30 seconds off his personal best, highlighting the team's continued progress.

Beyond the results, the meet showcased the character of the Forest City program as teammates supported one another through the challenges of competition and recovery. Both teams finished as district runners-up, securing the girls' fourth consecutive state appearance and the boys' fifth straight trip to Fort Dodge.

State Meet - Fort Dodge

Grant Gayther - Second Team All State Runner

Forest City Cross Country Wraps Up Another Successful State Meet

The Forest City girls finished 8th overall at the State Meet, capping off their fourth consecutive state appearance with strong individual performances. Claire Weaver, Muren Sharp, Samantha Clouse, and Sophia Reese each earned a meet record. Samantha Clouse led the way with a 15th-place finish, earning First Team All-State honors.

The boys finished 9th overall, marking their fifth consecutive appearance at the State Meet. Grant Gayther earned a meet record and placed 7th, securing Second Team All-State honors. Tucker Walberg and Daunta Berg received the Gobble Up Award for their toughness and determination. Despite a difficult start that forced Daunta to work his way back through the field, both runners continued to compete and demonstrated the resilience that defines our program.

Samantha Clouse

First Team All State Runner

Samantha Clouse’s 15th-place finish and First Team All-State honor capped another remarkable season. Reflecting on the experience, Samantha shared how special it was to compete alongside the people she cares about and how rewarding it felt to accomplish a goal she had set during the summer. Her approach to racing goes beyond individual achievement, as she credits her faith, teammates, and desire to give her team the best opportunity to succeed as important sources of motivation. Her faith, determination, and consistent training have helped build the confidence to compete at a high level, regardless of the circumstances. Samantha also made program history by completing her second consecutive undefeated season, becoming the first runner in the four-year history of the accomplishment to do so. While proud of what she has achieved, she is already looking forward to what next season may bring.

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