The newest member of the Webster City boys’ squad raced alongside Jacob Willson at the front of the team’s pack and wound up as the leader at the Marshalltown Early Bird. Not a bad debut at all.

“To have him come along and perform that well on his first night out, it’s just a really sweet surprise,” WCHS head coach Joe Lambert said of Perin. “I’m glad he’s taken his role on the team with that kind of seriousness and confidence.”

Perin and Willson placed 16th and 18th, respectively, as they guided the Lynx to 111 points and a fourth-place finish behind three Class 4A programs — Southeast Polk (31), Urbandale (40) and Ottumwa (97) — in the eight-team field.

The Lynx top six runners went stride for stride over the opening mile and finished with a one-minute gap — a welcome sight on opening night.

WCHS sophomore Jacie Crutcher (right) jockeys for position as she turns a corner at yesterday’s Marshalltown Early Bird. Marshalltown T-R photo/Andrew Abadie

“It’s encouraging that the boys ran a really tight pack,” Lambert said.

Perin and Willson eventually pulled away from their teammates and stayed in contact until just 100 meters remained. Perin had a little extra left in the tank and sprinted to the finish line in 18:27, five seconds in front of Willson (18:32).

“Those guys ran really well together,” Lambert said. “It was just a matter of who had the foot speed and Matt had it (yesterday).”

Jose Ramirez also broke 19 minutes, as he crossed in 18:56 to place 22nd. Jackson Moberly (19:23) finished 27th, Kasey Porter (19:24) was right behind him in 28th, and Cole Reiling (19:27) completed the tight-knit trio in 30th.

Down two of its starters — sophomores Livia Taylor and Jenna McKinney — due to injuries, the WCHS girls’ crew sat at the back of the field with 200 points. Ottumwa (44) nipped Des Moines Roosevelt (45) for the team crown.

The absences thrust freshmen Emma Peck and Ella Hansen into the lineup.

Sophomore Jacie Crutcher led the way for WCHS with a 29th place finish in 23:57. It was nearly 21⁄2 minutes before the Lynx had another runner finish, that being Kaelyn Butz (40th) in 26:24.

“Comparing this year’s times to last year, we’re coming in at a better place,” Lambert said of his girls’ team. “Jacie was a minute and a half ahead of where she was last year.”

Allison Oswald (26:49) finished 43rd, Peck (27:20) was 44th, Hanson (31:39) took 53rd, and Adalie Peterson (32:56) rounded out the group in 54th.

WCHS will be at The Links on Tuesday to host the Lynx Invite at 5 p.m.

Marshalltown Early Bird

Thursday at MCC Course

GIRLS RESULTS

Team Standings

1. Ottumwa 44; 2. Des Moines Roosevelt 45; 3. Urbandale 53; 4. Marshalltown 122; 5. South Tama 160; 6. Waterloo East/West 164; 7. Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck 174; 8. Webster City 200.

Individual Top 5

1. Alli Bookin-Nosbisch (OTT) 19:19; 2. Arianna Jackson (DMR) 20:02; 3. Grace Bookin-Nosbisch (OTT) 20:11; 4. Carollin Mellin (OTT) 20:21; 5. Phoebe Hermanson (MARSH) 20:54.

Webster City Results

29. Jacie Crutcher 23:57; 40. Kaelyn Butz 26:24; 43. Allison Oswald 26:49; 44. Emma Peck 27:20; 53. Ella Hansen 31:39; 54. Adalie Peterson 32:56.

BOYS RESULTS

Team Standings

1. Southeast Polk 31; 2. Urbandale 40; 3. Ottumwa 97; 4. Webster City 111; 5. Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck 131; 6. Waterloo East/West 135; 7. Marshalltown 180; 8. South Tama 189.

Individual Top 5

1. Payton Marrs (URB) 16:18; 2. Drake Hanson (SEP) 16:51; 3. Sam Schweizer (URB) 17:24; 4. Chase Bartlett (SEP) 17:40; 5. Reece Knepper (URB) 17:45.

Webster City Results

16. Matthew Perin 18:27; 18. Jacob Willson 18:32; 22. Jose Ramirez 18:56; 27. Jackson Moberly 19:23; 28. Kasey Porter 19:24; 30. Cole Reiling 19:27; 51. Reece Sadler 21:20.