DES MOINES — One top-five finisher, three inside the top 15 and all five scorers in the top 20 propelled the South Hamilton boys’ cross country team to its best performance of the season here Monday afternoon.

And considering it was the Heart of Iowa Conference meet, the Hawks picked a pretty good time to put it all together.

South Hamilton’s balanced performance propelled it to third in the team race with 65 points, just four points behind runner-up Greene County (61). Nevada had four top-10 finishers and ran away with the team title with 36 points.

Ty Skartvedt, who has served as the Hawks’ guide throughout the season, continued to anchor the group at Saydel High School. The two-time state qualifier hung inside the top five throughout the 5K race and crossed the finish line in fourth with a clocking of 18:13.11.

Eli Potter, Landan Grove, Clay Willadsen and Gage Koster all earned top 20 finishes. Potter turned in a time of 19:15.38 to place 12th, just one spot and 12 seconds ahead of Grove (13th, 19:27.59). Willadsen (17th, 19:38.65) and Koster (19th, 19:40.83) were separated by only a few steps as they raced toward the finish line.

West Marshall’s Nicolas Thompson and Nevada’s Owen Freeman battled it out to the line for the top individual prize. Thompson was a step ahead, as he claimed gold in 17:44.91. Owen, the silver medalist, put up a time of 17:45.64.

SH girls 5th

Marissa Jensen and Anna Lammers were top-20 finishers for the South Hamilton girls’ team, as the Hawks compiled 103 points to sit in the fifth-place spot.

Fourth-ranked (Class 2A) Roland-Story dominated the field with the individual champion — Reece Johnson won in 20:54.28, 22 seconds ahead of her closest competitor — and four top-10 finishers. The Norsemen accrued 29 points to finish well ahead of runner-up PCM (64) and third-place finisher Nevada (72).

Jensen was well ahead of her teammates and turned in a time of 23:20.80 to finish 13th. Lammers also broke 24 minutes; her clocking of 23:51.34 was good enough for 16th.

Paige Doolittle (23rd), Abby Ervin (25th) and Valerie Wagner (26th) completed the Hawks’ scoring crew. Doolittle had a time of 24:29.12, Ervin crossed in 24:38.96, and Wagner was on her heels in 24:42.56.

HOIC Meet

Monday at Saydel High School

Des Moines

GIRLS RESULTS

Team Standings

1. Roland-Story 29; 2. PCM 64; 3. Nevada 72; 4. West Marshall 83; 5. South Hamilton 103; 6. Saydel 169.

Individual Top 10

1. Reece Johnson (R-S) 20:53.28; 2. Tori Meinecke (N) 21:15.50; 3. Paige Steenhoek (PCM) 21:37.80; 4. Elizabeth Ihle (R-S) 21:55.72; 5. Lilly Buck (WM) 22:09.56; 6. Eleanor Elliott-Rude (N) 22:11.47; 7. Moriah Bates (R-S) 22:11.91; 9. Makenna Carlson (R-S) 22:32.49; 10. Tiffani Koonce (PCM) 22:39.37.

South Hamilton Results

13. Marissa Jensen 23:20.89; 16. Anna Lammers 23:51.34; 23. Paige Doolittle 24:29.12; 25. Abby Ervin 24:38.96; 26. Valerie Wagner 24:42.56; 41. Kelbe Krumm 26:06.28.

BOYS RESULTS

Team Standings

1. Nevada 36; 2. Greene County 61; 3. South Hamilton 65; 4. Roland-Story 80; 5. West Marshall 150; 6. Saydel 157; 7. PCM 169.

Individual Top 10

1. 1. Nicolas Thompson (WM) 17:44.91; 2. Owen Freeman (N) 17:45.64; 3. Luis Lopez Perez (N) 17:52.14; 4. Ty Skartvedt (SH) 18:13.11; 5. Logan Woodruff (GC) 18:23.03; 6. Nathan Limas (R-S) 18:30.38; 7. Carter Holland (N) 18:43.98; 8. Rhett Harter (N) 18:48.70; 9. Ethan Frederick (GC) 18:52.06; 10. Jayden Carstensen (GC) 19:03.23.

South Hamilton Results

4. Ty Skartvedt 18:13.11; 12. Eli Potter 19:15.38; 13. Landan Grove 19:27.59; 17. Clay Willadsen 19:38.65; 19. Gage Koster 19:40.83; 41. Bobby Tapper 21:13.14; 48. Logan Halfwassen 21:31.62.