“Unity is strength…when there is teamwork and collaboration,
wonderful things can be achieved.” -Maddie J.T. Stepanek
I would definitely have to say that this quote describes the
bonding of our team and strengthening of relationships this past weekend. Last
Friday, the Varsity guys left right after school ended to head down to
Jefferson City to practice the course for the race the next day and spend the
night in a hotel. The JV and Freshman groups on the other hand ran through our
normal pre-meet routine and got out of practice early.
The next day (Saturday) the JV and Freshman woke up at the
crack of dawn to meet at De Smet at 6:45 AM to begin the journey. The journey
took approximately 2 hours and the way down was mostly quiet for the first hour
as everyone took the advantage to rest and fuel up before the race. As we got
closer and saw the state capital, enthusiasm rose up. The race was at Oak Hills
golf course which was pretty neat as we were racing on the greens and fairway.
The course itself was full of hills in the first and third mile while the
second mile was flat. This was a unique and enjoying course in which our team
competed very well. As far as places he had the Varsity guys place 6th
out of 27 teams and the JV guys placing 3rd out of 16 teams. Varsity
placers were: Joe Reed (16:35), Tyler O’Connor (16:56), Michael Ruiz del Arbol
(Smith Cotton, Wilson, Stein, Malone, Jackson) (17:03), Neil Winter (17:45),
and Matthew “Justice” Woodford (17:47). Congrats to you guys with your fierce
competition. As far as JV guys, we had an awesome race. Placers were Patrick
Sanchez (18:36), Nolan Shannon (18:45), Thomas Linhares (18:52), Kole Wetzler
(19:00), and Tim(bo) Abbenhaus (19:12). Almost all of the JV runners PR’d (Got
a personal record, for those who don’t know). After the race, I went around
asking people how they did and the answers were awesome. Juniors, Dominic
Kinsella and Caleb Hackman responded with “Are you talking about before this
race because THIS IS IT”. Freshman Alex
Voelker responded with “I PR’D BY 1 minute and a half!” I, myself PR’d as well
and it was awesome to finish the race with the feeling that I just broke my own
record on a course that I have never run before. The results of this race were
extraordinarily remarkable and I congratulate everyone that ran and thank all
those who supported us and the Varsity guys in the race.
After the race, we headed back to De Smet where the journey
back is one to remember. We all (JV and Varsity) stopped by a sketchy McDonalds
at a rest stop along the highway for lunch and thus continued the journey home
where the varsity guys went their separate ways. Along the journey there were
multiple activities going on. In my row, we had Happy Wheels tournament going
on where we all struggled to beat some levels. (Happy Wheels is a game on the
smartphone). Car Sickness claimed a
victim in which we luckily found a grocery bag to use to improvise a barf-bag.
I feel like there is one more thing that I am forgetting…Oh wait we got
stranded at a gas station. We stopped for a bathroom break and a 5 min break
turned into a 1 hour break. As we stopped, the bus driver thought it might be a
good idea to fill up the bus tank while we were stopped. So he paid for the gas
and had it running while he went to go use the restroom. Well…..it turns out he
forgot to start the filling and filling up a bus tank takes a lot longer than a
car tank. So 20 min later, the driver comes back to find out he didn’t start it
and starts it. While we were stopped, some of the athletes decided to go into
the gas station to use the bathroom and buy snacks. By the time, the tank was
filled up, we were about 45 min late on schedule which was a problem for some
sophomores who had homecoming and we all joked around about fake flat tires and
more stops needed. Anyway we all got back to De Smet around 5 o’clock and
enjoyed what was left of a Saturday off. The bus ride was a truly memorable
experience as the JV guys (and Varsity the day before) were able to spend an
entire day together, talking about strategies, joking around, and competing
together on that same day. This trip definitely proves true that the journey is
just as important and exciting as the end goal, getting to the race, or end of
the trip.
-Salvatore
Alu
Class
of 2017
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