Mel and Tom Start the Season On the Right Foot (Feet)
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Photo courtesy of Steve Wehrley
NGM's Ruthie Zuber, Melanie Fink and Lily Maynard lead Monday's cross country race.
"Do not go out too fast, do not go out too fast, I kept saying to myself," relates junior Melanie Fink. "I passed people throughout the first and second miles, mostly on the hills. Honestly, I didn't think they were that bad because we've trained on far worse. At the two-mile Lily (Maynard), Ruthie (Zuber) and I ran in a straight line with Molly (Olson) right behind. Right after the mile two I said 'golly, I'm really close to the front.' So, around the bridge, with a kilometer to go, I passed the girl in front of me. I thought she was right behind me - apparently she had dropped back but I didn't know that - and it really pushed me. I turned the last corner, started sprinting to the finish, glanced at the big clock and said 'what the heck, this is going to be a PR!' then I passed the finish line and was caught by my Dad."
Moments after Melanie (21:31) wins the Bruess Invitational at Monroe, Ruthie Zuber (21:51), Lily Maynard (21:54) and Molly Olson (21:58) cross the line. Emma Martinson (22:58) finishes in 15th and the New Glarus-Monticello ladies win with a happy score of 27 points. The host team, Monroe, scores 90, Mt. Horeb 99, Albany 102...and the seventh place team 164.
Our back-up varsity runners, Annika Ziperski (23:37), Lucy Melvin (23:50) and Cam Arnett (24:58) finish, with fast times for the first race.
The junior varsity race ends much closer, as Tenley Faber (25:54) comes across fourth followed by Ella Salas, Eve MacLean, Ruth Marty, Ella Skidmore, Juniper Lounsbury, Abi Burk, Devi Duerst and Delany Karls. Running in last Monday's heat and humidity, the young ladies finish 4th.
New Glarus-Monticello senior Tom Nelson lines-up with Mt. Horeb's Joseph Stoddard (16:53) on his right and Belleville's Carter Scholey (17:01) on his left. Of the twelve teams making an appearance at the Monroe race, these runners belong to a handful of the fastest guys.
"In the beginning I got out fast, although I felt relaxed, maybe I went too fast. My splits at each mile were pretty even, but it hurt a lot at the end. The heat was a factor and made me want to be done. Carter passed me at about the halfway point. I tried to stay in touch but needed to stay with my rhythm. In the last mile the top runners were pretty strung out."
Tom Nelson describes his race further. "Joseph is about 40 seconds ahead, Carter about 20 as I finish. I'm pretty happy with my time of 17:21 and third place overall."
Despite Tom's high placing, the team ends 8th of 12 teams. Tanner Gardner (20:24.5) and Ian Schwartzlow (20:25.1) race to the finish, but then the remaining team members are spread out: Linden Lounsbury (21:11), Kaleb Welhouse (22:18), Jack Umhoefer (23:07), Collin Blum (23:18) and Ray Valentine (24:06).
Landon Schneeberg (27:18) and Carter Ness (29:38) represent the JV boys.
Saturday's race at Verona, one of the largest in the state, is postponed until Tuesday as thunderstorms rolled through all morning. The girls wished for a Shocking Upset of some of the big schools, but Lightning wasn't the safest way to accomplish that goal.
