The volunteer watched in stunned silence as the string parted and hundreds of timing tags fluttered to the ground.  Each name represented the finishing spot of a sweaty, exhausted middle school athlete still recovering from the 1.5-mile race.  Parents, coaches and kids realized they’d never know the outcome of this event.  Therefore, we - the New Glarus/Monticello coaches - claim team victory, indisputable victory! 

Finishing about third overall and, without a doubt, first for the 7th/8th grade boys cross country team is Conor McCoy (8:15).  Seconds pass before the clump of Rudy Wicker (9:05), Dane Duerst (9:12), Desi Delforge (9:17), Ty Ready (9:29), Evan Guenther (9:32), Griffin Ness (9:45), Beckett Malaise (9:52), Peter Gustafson (9:53) and Mason Thompson (9:57) pass the finish line.  Less than a minute later our first girl, Dayna Karls (10:48), leads the group of Aiden Runkle (10:59), Silas Leuthner (11:20), Keegan Kemp (11:41), Dylan Noll (12:18) and Tristan Flanagan (12:45).  Truth be told, middle schoolers care more about enjoying the race and less about the nonexistent team scores.

The UW-Platteville cross country paths suffered water damage several weeks ago.  The reconfigured layout produces a faster 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) course.  That fact, combined with weeks of training, produces fastest times of the season.  On boys varsity, Christian Arnett (17:32), Adam Nelson (18:18), Andrew Newberry (19:14) and Cade Beutler (19:25) finish under twenty minutes.  Freshman Garrett Grossen (20:06) stays ahead of seniors Colin McNulty (20:25) and Jonathan Truttman (20:50) as he almost breaks that time barrier.

One of the young upstarts on the JV team, Kellan Zweifel (19:25), earns his way onto varsity, with Simon Blohowiak (21:30), Lucas Fink (22:18) and Levi Dearth (22:40) backing him up.

The ladies all appear happy with their best times of the season except for Gabbie Sawyer (20:05.1).  Like Alice in Wonderland, she sprints faster and faster only to see the clock doing the same!  She sets the school record for a girls 5K race but misses her season goal of “going into the teens.”  Gabby Whistler (23:16) and Molly Molencamp (23:17) run side-by-side before battling each other to the end, Kelly Fredrickson (24:24) holds her traditional 4th spot with Walela Three-Sticks (24:53) just edging out Rebecca Barr (24:54) in the mad dash to the finish.  Happiest of the lot is Brooke Drefyus (28:47), because she produces a personal best by almost one minute.

At Noon, all twenty-seven cross country teams gather for results and individual awards.  Christian Arnett receives recognition for 10th in small school competition and Gabbie Sawyer receives an award for 4th.  The boys team places 5th overall in their division, with the girls 7th in theirs.

For one week the NGM’ers enjoy their PBs (personal bests) before lining up on the Baertschi Farm cross country course in Albany this coming Saturday.  The “Run By the River” Invitational is beautiful in fall.  Although a series of hills and narrow pathways make it challenging, the race is still easier than spelling the family name of B-A-E-R-T-S-C-H-I.