OTTUMWA — Cross-country athletes in the area will have to delay their return to competition as a result of a significant heat wave impacting the state of Iowa.
Originally scheduled for Thursday, the high school cross-country meets at Wildwood Park in Ottumwa and Walden Park in Corydon were canceled due to dangerously high temperatures. The Wayne Invitational in Corydon, which includes teams from Albia and Centerville, has been rescheduled for Thursday, September 24. However, the meet hosted by Pekin in Ottumwa remains without a new date at this time.
Southern Iowa is currently under a heat advisory that is set to last until Friday at 7 p.m., with heat indices potentially reaching as high as 103 degrees. On Thursday, the forecasted high temperature is expected to hit 96 degrees, creating unsafe conditions for athletes.
This cancellation comes as Ottumwa was preparing for its second meet of the season at Wildwood Park. In their previous outing at the Marshalltown Early Bird meet, the Ottumwa girls' team secured sixth place with a total of 167 points, with standout Sophie Schmidt finishing 14th in a time of 22:53.1. The boys' team also competed, finishing seventh with 185 points, led by Robert Haw, who placed 26th with a time of 19:47.
Despite the postponements, many of the area teams, including both Ottumwa squads, are expected to return to action next Thursday at the Ron Hunderdosse Invitational in Fairfield. The event will kick off with middle school races at Waterworks Park starting at 4:30 p.m.
Additionally, Van Buren County, which was also slated to compete in Ottumwa, is set to host their own invitational meet at the Riverview Club in Keosauqua this Tuesday. This event will welcome several teams, including Cardinal, Davis County, Moulton-Udell, and Pekin. Furthermore, the Warriors have recently announced they will be hosting a Class 1A state-qualifying meet next month, adding to the excitement of the upcoming cross-country season.
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