Senior Josh Carstens will represent Panorama in one more cross country meet this year. Panther head cross country coach Greg Thompson tells Raccoon Valley Radio that Carstens will compete in this weekend’s 2017 Senior All-Star Cross Country race put on by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. The race takes place this Saturday at the Des Moines Area Community College Campus in Ankeny.

Carstens represented Panorama this past weekend at the 2017 Iowa State Class 1A Boys State Cross Country meet in Fort Dodge. He placed 21st overall with a time of 17:05. Thompson was impressed with how Carstens closed the race. “If that race would have been another 800 meters longer, he probably would’ve been an all-state (runner).” Thompson said, “(The) coaching staff said he was about 30 to 31st place with 1,000 meters to go and he ends up 21st. He closed strong. We knew it was his strength, just couldn’t get him quite far enough up in the pack at the beginning of the race.”

Thompson adds last Saturday was the best race of Carstens’ career and is excited to have him as a distance runner this spring in track. The 2017 Senior All-Star Cross Country meet starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Des Moines Area Community College Campus in Ankeny.