Kaitlynn Amandus has been pleasantly surprised by her senior-season progress with the Blair High School cross-country team.
Now that she and coach Darren Harsin's Bears have qualified for the NSAA State Championships, does the senior have any more surprises left?
“I hope so,” Amandus said, smiling big last Thursday after the Class B2 District Meet at Elkhorn Mount Michael. BHS earned a pair of runner-up team finishes, qualifying both teams for this Friday's championship event at Kearney Country Club. The Mount Michael boys and the Elkhorn North girls, meanwhile, earned district titles.
Like they have all season, Blair juniors Dawson Fricke and Chloe Schrick led the way for Harsin's squad.
“Our whole team, we do well together,” Schrick said. “Going to state with the whole team is the best part.”
The standout earned fifth in the girls' 5-kilometer race, clocking in at 19:50.7.
“I've always wanted to break 20 (minutes) and I did it,” she said.
Schrick was apart of the race's lead cluster, which race-winner Gabriela Calderon of Bennington pulled away from late.
“It was nice to run in the pack because I'm used to running by myself,” the junior said. “I think it pushed me good.”
Amandus was motivated by teammates Hailey Amandus, her younger sister, and sophomore Allie Czapla. Hailey medaled eighth in 20:12.1, Kaitlynn was ninth in 20:13.3 and Czapla clocked in at 20:25.2 for 10th.
“I thought it was awesome I was able to run with my sister because she and Allie really push me,” Kaitlynn said. “I know they're faster than me, so it's a huge commitment to run with them.”
Bears seniors Cayli Penner and Sophia Baedke rounded out the BHS lineup, finishing 24th and 25th as they and Thursday's alternate, Emily Lamoureux, move onto the state meet.
On the boys' side, Fricke earned second, cutting seconds off of his time by starting fast to keep up with district champion Mesuidi Ejerso of South Sioux City.
“Did not go as planned,” the Bear said. “I was going to try and stick with Mesuidi and he's frickin' good. He went out fast.”
It crossed Fricke's mind that he may have exerted too much energy early.
“I heard somewhere that every second you go out too fast, you add, like, 4 seconds onto the end and I was thinking, 'I went out really fast,'” he said. “So I just really, really pushed here at the end because I knew it was not going to feel very good and it didn't feel good.”
The BHS junior said his quads were burning when he crossed the finish line, but the 16:38.7 time he ran was worth it.
Nolan Slominski was next in for the Bears, finishing 12th in 17:27. The junior medalist put forth the effort just one week after having to pull out of the Eastern Midlands Conference race with a stomach ailment.
“I was nervous because I didn't want it to happen again,” he said. “But I just kind of pulled through and it didn't really affect me during the race today.”
Freshman Calin O'Grady also medaled within the top-15, earning 14th in 17:29.6 just ahead of Zac Keeling in 17th and senior Nick Wayman in 18th. They finished in 17:46.3 and 17:47.2, respectively, before Zyler Wyman stopped the clock at 18:09.6 for 23rd.
Overall, it was state-worthy effort for the Bears, who'll be joined by alternate Ted Lueders in Kearney.
“I was very happy,” Fricke said. “I'm proud of them.”
