As the Central football team heads into their last regular season football game tonight, they will be trying for a second undefeated season in a row. Even in our early, rain filled games the team has competed in front of great Central crowds all season. While the football team (rightfully so) has drawn the largest headlines, something even more special happened in Central sports yesterday.
The Central Girls Cross Country team competed in districts yesterday. Not only did they take first at districts on their way to State, they did so by individually qualifying their top 5 runners. For those that don't follow cross country running, folks this is unheard of! To qualify for State, a runner has to finish in the top 15 at the district meet. Central's runners finished 3rd, 5th, 10th, 14th, and 15th! As a team Central finished 1st with a score of 47, second place Starmont finished with a score of 83.
This is the 4th year in a row the Central Girls Cross Country team has won districts. Even more amazing than that, our Central Girls Cross Country team has qualified for State in 11 of the past 12 years and finished 5th or above 8 of those 11 times.
Cross Country doesn't come with huge home crowds, with most of the support coming from the runner's direct family and friends. Yet, year in and year out our Central girls are quietly accomplishing something special. Please take time to extend a congratulations to our runners and coaches on an incredible feat yesterday, and good luck at State girls!
Mr. Trenkamp thank you for your nice blog post about the football team and the girls xc team. Most of your readers may know this, but yesterday was a very sad day for the boys team and I think they would love a little recognition for their efforts. As a team the boys ran minutes faster than their last year state qualifying performance. The team of boys and girls have lived like a family since the end of a last year’s track season. They ran together all summer long, camped together, fished together, hung out and eaten together too many times to count. Two weekends ago they traveled to Gays Mills and toured apple orchards. On the way home they stopped at a garage sale and found a red flag that they made into a Central XC flag they have been proudly waving at their meets since. I think 4 of the guys’ times were PR’s last night and would have qualified them for state at the Denver district site last night, where Dunkerton, a team they beat by 100 points earlier this year, qualified for state. Dunkerton’s district times were quite a bit slower than the Central boys district times. The boys had to go to the CR for their district bid because the girls were higher ranked than they were going into the district assignments.
ReplyDeleteThese individuals are outstanding young men who have bonded to the point where every one of them had tears in their eyes last night after the disappointment of not qualifying. They were sad not only because they didn’t qualify but probably more so because it was the last time they will practice, prepare, fire up, and compete together as a XC team. Last night the girls and boys and their parents hugged each other in joy and sadness and it was a site I will remember forever. As a parent and fan I am very proud of the girls and the boys. They all deserve a salute. Those boys are not even close to a bunch of natural athletes, but they have overcome a ton of personal adversity to be a very successful team. They fell a little short (7 points) of their goal but they won the hearts and admiration of their families, coaches and fellow girl teammates. I do not know the exact statistics but the boys teams under the stellar coaching of the Bauder’s have too ran at Ft. Dodge more times than not. Go Warriors!
Thanks for the heartfelt email Joleen. It was not my intention to not recognize the boys. With a daughter in volleyball, that group also worked hard and their first playoff game was against perennial volleyball powerhouse Tripoli. Sooner or later, you have to play the best to be the best.
ReplyDeleteI do agree the work ethic our runners put in all year long was amazing and the history of our boys cross country program is nothing less than impressive for a school our size. For the many people that do not make a connection between sports (and other activities) and academics, the proof is in the pudding!
I am extremely proud of all of our student athletes. A school district of our size needs all students to be active. Great season boys and good luck to Jake at State!