WAMEGO — Crest High’s quartet of runners dealt with a whirlwind of emotions Saturday.
The Lady Lancer’s decorated cross country squad had to deal with conditions best described as treacherous with the highest of stakes — a possible state championship — up for grabs.
They slogged through the rain and mud, with steep hills, tight corners and just enough slick spots capable of putting you on your backside if you weren’t careful.
Perhaps freshman Kallie Robb described it best when asked for her reflection.
“Well,” she said, after an extended pause. “It kind of sucked.”
“Hey, that’s one way to put it,” head coach Kaitlyn Cummings laughed.
By the time the mud settled, Crest’s runners — juniors Josie Walter, Peyton Schmidt and Aubrey Allen and the aforementioned Robb — had secured their second straight runner-up finish in the Class 1A State Cross Country Meet.
Walter led the way with her fifth-place finish, followed close behind by Schmidt in seventh, Allen in 25th and Robb in 48th.
Their combined score of 39 was mighty impressive, especially considering the conditions.
But their elation was tempered by the realization that South Gray, another juggernaut running program, finished with 34 points, and thus were the 2024 state champions.
But the final points mattered little to Cummings, who heaped praise on her squad for their mental fortitude.
“You guys put on a show, and you did your job out there,” Cummings told the squad. “Don’t think that being No. 1 is the best there is. You guys represented our team. You need to be proud of yourselves. Second place is a big deal.”
WAMEGO’S Country Club golf course, the setting for boys and girls state teams in Class 1A, 2A and 4A, was waterlogged well before the first gun sounded.
By the time the 1A girls race started — the fifth of the six races — low-lying portions had become mud pits. Each stride on the turf kicked up a steady mist as well.
And the rain continued to fall throughout the day.
