Pictures | Results

When juniors Molly Roberge and Lucia Frias-Wackman crossed the finish line of Tuesday night’s All-Terrain Challenge at Hyland Green, they took each other by the hand and raised their arms in celebration. They celebrated not only finishing the race, but the achievement of their career bests in the 5k. Frias-Wackman’s final finish time was 22:42, with Roberge just a few steps behind in 22:45. Frias-Wackman and Roberge have been training partners throughout the season, pushing one another through races, long runs, and challenging workouts. They know when the other needs the support to continue to hold on and turn up the heat in the middle of a race.

Roberge and Frias-Wackman are not the only dynamic duo on the team. In fact, the unity they displayed at the finish speaks for the remarkable growth the Raiders have demonstrated throughout the season overall. For the girls’ team, what they lack in numbers they make up for in their unwavering support of one another, even outside of the confines of cross –country practice. They encourage each other to succeed throughout injuries, tough academic loads, and in all of life’s races. This leads to the trust necessary to perform as a team, rather than focusing solely on individual achievement. The trio of Madison Veverka, Irene Stringer, and Clare Fitzpatrick rounded out the Girls Varsity race, finishing in 23:21, 23:49, and 24:00, respectively.

It would be remiss to discuss the growing achievements of the girls’ team, however, without mentioning the victory of senior Thea Gutzmann. The first mile of the 5k can either make or break the remainder of the race for many a cross country athlete. Even a seasoned athlete may find themselves getting caught up in the initial adrenaline rush of speed found in the first mile, only to struggle throughout the second and third mile. Unlike many of the runners passing through the first mile on Tuesday, Gutzmann flashed the crowd of cheering spectators a smile. Gutzmann stood to finish in 11th place at this point in the race, not far off from her placement at previous meets. Only the smile was new. No one, perhaps only Thea, could have predicted the calculated win ahead. An already accomplished hurdler and 400 meter runner on the track, Thea Gutzmann is meticulous about her training. She knows her body and what she needs to do to perform to her potential.  She isn’t afraid to advocate for herself or for others if the coaches’ formula needs to be tweaked. On Tuesday, Gutzmann’s efforts found her a new threshold.  By the second mile, she was in third place.  And in the final 400 meters?  First place with her competition close behind.  In the final stretch towards the finish line, she put her sprinter gear into overdrive, sealing her first place victory and a new career best of 19:45. The buck doesn’t stop at Hyland Green for Thea. She has her sights set on running at the State Championship on Nov. 5 at St. Olaf and breaking CDH’s 5k record of 19:16, set by Laura Docherty in 2008.

The Boys’ Varsity race followed the girls. Like the girls’ team, the boys’ team depends on their wolfpack mentality to achieve their goals. The camaraderie found among the team is unmatched, seen during meets and in their pre-practice pickup football games. In cross country, success is defined by the community created by the team as much as the mileage added up by the end of the week. When only two out of the typical seven varsity runners were able to run on Tuesday due to illness or injury, this bond was tested.  Junior varsity members Danny Stevermer, Christian Strommen, Owen Mische, and Owen Keeley stepped up to the challenge of competing in the varsity race allowing CDH to score as a team.  The boys’ team placed in 13th out of 18th, an impressive accomplishment given the absence of some of the team’s top talent.  Seniors Dillion Diekmann and Jack Spencer led the boys’ varsity squad, both achieving their personal best times and demonstrating their potential to compete at the State Meet. Diekmann finished in second place in 16:24 after a hard fought battle with Nova Classical Academy throughout the race, while Spencer finished in 22nd with a time of 17:32.

The first autumn chill arrived just in time for the boys’ and girls’ junior varsity races. Despite wet and muddy conditions, both teams showcased their continuing achievements, whether they are running their best time, running without stopping, or returning from injury. Eighth grade recruit Jorgen Holbrook led the JV boys and finished with a personal best of 21:28, showing a promising future with the Raiders.  He was followed up by Drew Kampmeier, Isaac Johnson, Lucas Jandrich, and Zane Jhocson. Senior Katie O’Neill and freshman Ana Morton pushed each other through the girls’ JV race with freshman Monica Calkins not far behind, finishing in 26:43.

Hard work and an ongoing commitment to team unity go hand in hand.  If the Raiders continue to keep this in mind, future successes are surely in store as they compete for a spot at States in the conference and sectional meets later in October.  The Raiders compete next Thursday, October 6, at the Blaine Invitational.