RC cross country ends season at state finals
Nearly 500 runners lined up at the starting line of the Division IV MHSAA cross country state finals Saturday at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, including eight tough competitors from Rogers City. Although they did not walk away with state medals, the RC runners did experience the thrill of the race, and the knowledge that victory is possible in the future. ?I basically wanted our kids to experience what it was like to be at state,? said coach Rob Kortman. ?I knew it was going to be tough competition, especially with having such a young team. I?m very proud of what we did.?
THE WEATHER was crisp, but not cold enough to hamper results. Kortman said he didn?t believe the Michigan forecast affected his team?s competitive ability. ?I really don?t think the cold affected them,? said Kortman. ?It was a beautiful day for running. The cold air probably helped them, actually. It provides them with more oxygen.? The lone runner from the RCHS boys? cross country team to compete at the state level was junior Tharin Wilk. Wilk qualified for state with his 13th place finish in regional competition in his time of 19:10. Wilk said his finish at regionals was ?the race of his life,? and taking his stride to state was an ?amazing? personal accomplishment.
Kortman said he had believed all along that Wilk was state final material. ?I expected him to qualify ? he had a really good year,? said Kortman. ?It was his first time at state finals, and he ran his personal best.? Wilk crossed the finish line at state finals in an impressive 18:18.50, about a minute under his regional finish. Kortman is more than pleased with Wilk?s performance, and is looking forward to his return next year as a seasoned competitor. ?I see Tharin coming back next year as a real team leader,? said Kortman. ?I think he?ll use his experience at state and tell his teammates, ?guys, this is where we want to be.??
THE RCHS girls? team qualified for state by placing third in regional competition, led by senior Chelsea Kreft, who placed 10th at regionals with her time of 23:36. Kreft, who has been a team role model all season, finished in 104th out of 233 runners at state finals. Her time was 21:46.60, a full two minutes under her regional finish. Kreft had hoped to beat her personal record of 21:15, but the excitement of state finals might have hindered that goal. ?I was really hoping to get my PR, but I might have started too fast,? said Kreft. ?I began trying to start out faster this season, and it had been working, but I think I got?too excited (Saturday).? Kreft, who was a team co-captain along with Cynthia Belusar, ran cross country all four years of high school. Kortman said Kreft was a role model he will miss having on the team. ?Chelsea has a great work ethic, and it would transfer down to other kids, especially the ones who were out for their first time,? said Kortman. ?I think next year, Cynthia (Belusar) and Sarah (Bruning) will step up and lead the team.?
Bruning, who has been a consistent competitor with Kreft all season, finished only three places behind Kreft in regional competition. At state finals, Bruning placed in 108th place ? four behind Kreft. Bruning ran in a time of 21:48.50. Cynthia Belusar earned 193rd place with her time of 24:05.50, while freshman Megan Hopp finished in 217th place with her time of 25:46.70. Senior Becky Hopp finished in 223rd with her time of 26:10.10. Junior Elly Plath ran in a time of 26:47.60 for 225th place, while sophomore Lauren Muszynski finished in 228th place with a time of 27:58.20. Kortman said he is pleased with how all of the Rogers City runners performed. ?I?m happy with how they all did,? said Kortman. ?The experience from state will help us next year ? we are only losing two of our seven state runners.?
KREFT BELIEVES next year?s team will be tough, due in part to several junior high runners who will make their high school debut. ?I think the team is going to be really good next season,? said Kreft. ?There are a lot of good people coming up. Michelle Belusar will be a freshman, and she kept up with me during?practice.? Also moving up in the ranks for the girls? team will be Jami Horn and Leilani Kortman. Sophomore Kaylee Kreft, who finished second in state as a freshman, will also make her return to the team next season after nursing a knee injury this year. ?I think the new runners a
?Jesse Hopp will be a freshman next year,? said Kortman. ?For some reason, I?ve had a hard time drawing in boys to compete, so hopefully we can add some numbers to our team.? Kortman said this year?s success would not have been possible without the dedication of the team, parents and families.
?I?m very happy with all of the kids ? it was a team effort to get everyone who competed in state to the finals,? said Kortman. ?I?d like to thank all the parents and my wife for the support throughout the season.?