[PHOTO STORY] Varsity Cross Country crosses the finish line for the IMAC Conference Championship

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October 18, 2021 – RubicOnline
Varsity Cross Country competed in Independent Metro Athletic Conference Championship on Oct. 14 at Battle Creek Park. Fans followed the runners through the park, cheering them on and taking photos at checkpoints and at the finish line.
Senior Henry Burkhardt was the first SPA runner to cross the finish line, receiving 15th place in the event.
Ninth-grader Finn Miller-Fimpel (left) and Senior Justin Troth (right), finished with similar times. Troth finished in 29th place and Miller-Fimpel finished 0.30 seconds later in 30th place. Miller-Fimpel said, “There is a huge sense of community, much more than what I was expecting, and it’s really helped me, and probably others, have really fun and record-breaking races.”
Senior Naci Konar-Steenberg finished in 35th place. He said, “It was a breakthrough race for the team: we had five people on varsity under twenty minutes (four boys and one girl), and six out of the seven people on boys’ varsity got a personal best time. That’s significant because the course we ran on, which was at Battle Creek, is generally considered to be rather difficult, but we had plenty of personal and season bests.”
Sophomore Ford Reedy sprints through the finish line, increasing his speed to his max for last few feet of the race. “Injuries held us back a bit, but that happens, those who ran left it all out there, and those who cheered did too,” Reedy said. He finished 31st.
The team gathers to recover after their race.
All teams participating take off for the Varsity Girls 5000 Meter Run Finals.
Sophomore Violet Benson (left) continues through the mid-way check point with sophomore Annie Hlavka (right) close behind. Benson finished 22nd and Hlavka finishes 37th.
Ninth grader Taylor Barkwell is the first SPA runner to finish the Varsity Girls 5000 Meter Run in 5th place.
Ninth grader Maren Overgaard finishes in in 12th place. Overgaard said, “All of my teammates are so inspirational. They are so encouraging and supportive, no matter what, and I always look forward to seeing them at practice. We have had such a great season so far, and I am excited to see what we can do at sections.”
Overall, SPA finished in 6th place for the Varsity Boys 5000 Meter Run Finals, and 4th place for the Varsity Girls 5000 Meter Run Finals.