It was nearly perfect racing weather. Temps in the 50s and overcast- it was ideal until it started raining again, but luckily for the runners in Ellis, the course was in great shape. (Other regionals were not so lucky.)
The girls raced at 10:35. We ran with a small squad- Izzy, Annabelle, Maklyn, and Kyler. The start was FAST, and it funneled quickly. Annabelle had an amazing start and just kept up the pace the entire 5k. She has improved so much this year and is confident and strong. She beat her previous PR by :47 and was the first Bear to cross the finish. This was Israel’s last race- she’s been running with me for 6 years and ran in three state meets. She will be dearly missed. Maklyn and Kyler both ran well, with Kyler earning a season-best time and Mak looking stronger than she did mid-season.
The boys had the last race of the day, and we were all soaked. They knew they needed to get out front quickly, and all did an excellent job. Noah (-1:25), Clark (-2:07), Ryder (-:15), Isaac (-:01), and Will (-:04) all set new personal bests and Sebi set a new season best (-:18). Isaac’s start was the best I’ve seen – he is the steadiest runner but today he shifted into a new gear. I saw real RACING from several of the boys today. There is a point in almost every race when it hurts or their body feels depleted. Great races happen when runners learn to override the panic button, trust their training, quiet any negative thoughts, and push through.
The top 15 runners earn a trip to state, and Sebi and Will were close. Sebi made up ground in the second half of the race, steadily moving up, and Will ran in 12th or 13th until the last half mile. Both boys finished with nothing left. It was heartbreaking to see them so close, but gratifying to know they gave it everything they had. This was Sebi’s last race. His leadership on the team has been a highlight of the season, and his growth as a runner has been enormous. I don’t think any of us could have looked at 8th-grade Seb and predicted he’d be where he is.
First race on this course, so we got to set the initial school course records. They’ll be added to the record book.
This season has been so strange, with so many injuries —most of which weren’t running-related but sidelined us just the same. We are looking forward to cheering Julia on in track in the spring with a healed foot! Ian, Katie, and Jaelynn would love a pain-free season. We return full teams on both sides next year- which is amazing for our size school to continue to have the numbers for team competition. With runners committing to summer miles, we should be able to keep the improvements and growth going in the direction we are looking for!
