Cross Country team takes first and sixth at Lone Elm Invitational
Boys team continues achievement by taking first place with a solid 42 points
September 11, 2016
The varsity boys cross country team placed first and the girls cross country team placed sixth at the Lone Elm Park Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Junior Gavin Overbeck led the boys team, finishing third overall with a time of 17:02.27. Sophomore Greg Haynes took fourth and senior Jakob Coacher followed, placing eighth. On the girls side, junior Britton Nelson was the only runner to finish in the top ten. Nelson took second with a time of 19:58.16.
Overbeck’s mindset coming into the run was to do his best and hopefully take first.
“I felt really good. [The race] was a great way to start the season.” Overbeck said.
Due to thunderstorms the night before, the course was very muddy with large puddles of water in and around the course. Freshman Morgan Koca knew this would provide a challenge throughout the race.
“At first I was very nervous,” Koca said, “but I realized I had to get over it. There was nothing I could do.”
Koca had many thoughts go through her head as she neared the finish line.
“Well I saw people passing me, I didn’t think I would be able to catch them, but in the end, … I knew I had to push through.” Koca said.
Assistant coach Chris McAfee thought both teams performed well, even with all the younger runners on the team.
“They had ran amazing … and they are learning how to race a 5K. Only two girls ran today who had raced a varsity 5K before and so the rest of them are learning … The guys have been working their tails off, and so to go out today and run the way they did was amazing,” McAfee said.
McAfee had also thought that the race helped the boys realize their potential.
“For the guys, it gives them a lot of confidence going forward and it makes them feel like they really are one of the best teams in the state,” McAfee said.
