Cross Country State Recap: Boys’ Team Finishes Fifth
Trying to perfectly pace a 5k can be helpful in running a fast time. However, at one point or another, racing is racing. The state meet is a contest of how hard someone can push themselves no matter what place you are in or what pace you are running, and Hollmann gave it her all until she triumphantly crossed the finish line in the fastest time in Westminster girls’ cross country history.
“As I was a quarter-mile from the finish line, I heard [Boys’ Assistant] Coach Jacob Pinkley say that I was in 8th place, so then I was really confused. I thought he was just making that up. However, in the last straight away, I could see the time and place that I was going to finish, and I couldn’t believe it. When I finished and saw everyone who was there for me, it really warmed my heart and made me so much more joyful because if I didn’t have them, my time and place wouldn’t have meant as much,” said Hollmann.
Often times things do not end in the best way possible. A majority of the time it seems that all circumstances abide by Murphy’s Law, but this time was different. In Hollmann’s last high school cross country race, everything went better than expected. However, after only a week of rest, Hollmann will start training once again for the spring track season because that’s just who she is.
Also on Saturday, the boys’ cross country team competed against some of the best teams in the state and gave it their all. Coming into the race, the boys knew that placing in the top four was a possibility, but unfortunately, it didn’t end up happening. There are a lot of factors that go into a race, and you can never really know where people are going to place for sure. Nevertheless, the boys ran fast.
“We all had a ton of fun at the state meet and the whole experience is one of the most enjoyable things I have done during my time at Westminster. It’s a huge blessing to be apart of such a fun atmosphere with the best teams from across Missouri. The whole team did great and Hayden Turley even got a PR. Although we didn’t get on the podium, 5th is still a great way to cap off a successful season,” said Colin Ring, junior.
The boys’ performance at state bodes well for the future as the top six runners consist of four juniors, one sophomore, and one freshman. Also, one of the top runners on the team in 2018, junior Caleb Moellenhoff has been sidelined due to injury for a year, so hopefully when he returns it will just make the team even better.
“Our coach, Coach Heefner, showed us that we were the only team in class three that returned all of their top six runners, and I think our potential is sky high for next season because of all of our returning talent. With all six of this year’s runners along with Caleb back for next year, we think we could definitely contend for a podium finish again and possibly even top two,” said Ring.
In all, the 2019 cross country season has drawn to a close, but the boys and girls will be training hard to keep getting better and better throughout this track season and over the summer. One thing is for certain, the future continues to be very bright for the Westminster cross country team.
Thomas Gorline finishes a race at the Spanish Lakes course in North St. Louis.
Podium Hunting: Cross Country State Preview
On Saturday, Nov. 2, the boys’ cross country team rolled through districts taking first place in the meet by a margin of 25 points. By placing in the top two, the team has qualified for the state meet, and even though the boys faced many steep hills throughout the race, they ran well and got the job done.
“I was extremely happy that we were able to place so well in districts, especially with how tough the course was,” said junior Thomas Gorline.
Ever since the 2014 season, there has not been a year the boys’ cross country team has qualified for state. WestNewsmagazine even covered the team’s reign of dominance in a recent article published on their website. With the race taking place this Saturday in Columbia, Missouri on the new course, the team has set their focus on the race. The team is excited for yet another chance to compete against the best in the state, and everyone is anticipating a strong performance from the Wildcats.
“Going into this race, I know that I must do everything I can to help us place high. I would love to win, but if not, we are hoping to finish on the podium,” said Gorline.
On the girls’ side, the team didn’t place in the top two at districts, so, unfortunately, they won’t be moving on to the state meet this year.
On Saturday, one thing is certain: Westminster cross country will push themselves to their physical limits. Whether that limit will result in a podium finish for the boys or a top 25 finish from Hollmann remains to be seen. Nevertheless, the runners do not run for the accolades, the medals, or the trophies. They run for the glory of God, for each other, for their coaches, for their parents, and for the simple enjoyment of running. The state meet is a culmination of the entire season, but it is ultimately the celebration of the runners and how hard they have worked the past months. After all this preparation, the Wildcats are ready. The question is: how ready is the rest of the state?
The top five boys from left to right: Thomas Gorline, Luke Beachy, Colin Ring, Hunter Freiner, and Hayden Turley.
The Hard Work Has Been Done: Boys’ Cross Country Districts Preview
On Thursday, Oct. 24, the boys’ cross country team cruised to victory as they won the Metro-Conference championship. The top five boys on the team all placed within the first 12 runners in the race. Westminster scored 36 points, beating the next closest teams, John Burroughs (80 points) and MICDS (84 points), by an impressively wide-margin. In fact, West Newsmagazine even covered the team’s win in a recently published online article.
“Our goal at the Metro League conference meet was to run our very best and win the team race. On paper, we could win by 20 points or so, but you never know how you’ll do compared to the competition until it’s all over. We can’t control how the other teams will run, but we can control how we do. With a champion’s mindset, we ran really well, 44 points ahead of second place,” said Coach Nile Heefner.
Junior Hunter Freiner placed third in the race and first among the team, and after the strong performance, he has set his focus on the district meet coming up this Saturday at Linn High School.
“The Conference meet was kind of a trial run for districts in seeing what we could do as a team. In all, coming into districts, the team morale is pretty high. We have a great team this year, and we are just hoping for the best,” said Freiner.
On Saturday at 11:55 AM, the boys will line up at the starting line alongside 13 other teams in competition for a district title and a chance to compete at the state meet the following Saturday. Only the top two teams will make it on to the next round. For the rest, the cross country season will be over. According to the running statistics website, MoMileSplit, the team is predicted to finish first out of district. However, the boys are locked in on what needs to be done, not what could happen.
“Our mindset going into districts and hopefully state is be mentally focused on doing our best at everything we do. Whether it’s in practice or the classroom, healthy eating or our sleep habits, and our relationships with people or God, we strive to be our best,” said Coach Heefner.
In all, the team has worked hard all season in training their bodies to be in tip-top shape for this weekend and the next. They have run long distances and fast repeats. They have sweat through the blistering heat of August as well as the cool days of October. So, as November approaches and the temperatures drop even more, hopefully, the boys’ times will drop, too. After all, the real work has been done. Now, all they need to do is leave it all out on the course.
From left to right: Colin Ring, Dan Burke, and Hunter Freiner.
The Dethroning of Dan Burke
In the storied history of Westminster cross country, ten names hold hallowed places on the all-time record board for the 5k (3.1 miles). They are set as marks for the current and future generations to strive for. Currently serving as an upper school English teacher at Westminster, Dan Burke sits at the esteemed tenth spot on the list. In 2000, Burke ran an impressive time of 17:00.50. Back then, the Westminster cross country team looked very different than it does today.
“When I was in high school, the team was really small. In a lot of ways, it was much more of an individual sport. There wasn’t a tremendous amount of a team-sport mentality as there is today. It’s changed a lot. It has become a lot more of a collaborative team mindset than it used to be. When I ran that time, it was at Forest Park. It was a relatively flat course, and it was just a really fun, fast race. At the time, I was so excited to seal my spot, at least for a few years, as having the fastest time at Westminster,” said Burke.
For years, cross country runners have stared longingly up at the record board out on the plaza in contemplation of what it would be like to finally earn a place among the greatest to ever run at Westminster. With the current talent in boys’ cross country, the eventual dethronement of Burke was proven to be inevitable. The only question was who would do it first.
On Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019, juniors Colin Ring and Hunter Freiner were the ones to accomplish this feat. With times of 16:45.06 and 16:56.17, Ring and Freiner finally knocked Burke out of the top ten as well as Evan Parres (Parres was an extraordinary runner from the class of 2018, but he was unfortunately sidelined due to injury for the latter part of his time at Westminster). Surpassing Burke was an especially extraordinary feat for these two juniors because Ring and Freiner both had Burke as their English teacher in ninth grade. In doing so, they earned themselves the esteemed spots of 5th and 8th place.
“Making it onto the record board is a huge honor and something I’m super excited about. I have known making it onto the record board was a possibility ever since districts last year where I was just a few seconds away, and I made it one of my goals to break 17 [minutes] this year. Surpassing Mr. Burke, one of my all-time favorite teachers, as well as a few other really good runners out of Westminster is just crazy, and I feel very blessed and humbled to even have my name alongside theirs. Getting to make it onto the board with my teammate, Hunter Freiner, at the same meet while also winning the meet as a team made it all the more memorable and special,” said Ring.
Coming into the race, the boys knew that they had a good chance of beating Burke’s time, as the Orchard Farm Invitational has one of the fastest courses in the state of Missouri. The meet takes place on an expansive, flat farmland next to Orchard Farm High School, where there are no hills in sight. With this speedy advantage, Ring and Freiner were able to run faster than ever before. However, coming into the race the boys had been dealing with some slight aches and pains.
“My knee had been bothering me a little bit going into the race, so I wasn’t sure what would actually happen during the race. Breaking 17 is a goal I have been trying to achieve for a year or two now, and to finally do it feels great,” said Freiner, “I realized I had a shot at breaking 17 when I had about 300 or 400 meters left and my coach, Jacob Pinkley, said that I was at 15:45. At that point, I realized how close I really was to achieving my long-time goal.”
While achieving a spot on the record board is a great accomplishment, this story is not about winners and losers; it is not meant to praise Ring and Freiner and bring shame to Burke and Parres. Because eventually, all records fade. Instead, earning a spot on the all-time list is an extension of the legacy of Westminster cross country, like the passing on the metaphorical torch from one generation to another. It is striving to glorify God in all we do through being good stewards of His gifts. It is pushing past all physical and mental barriers. After all, records are meant to be broken; sorry, Mr. Burke.
