Last Can Be First

Imagine you hold the seventh position on a cross country team.  At best, you run in the middle of the pack, and usually not even there.  What if you had the opportunity to lead a race, even win one!  Would that be exciting? 
On Saturday, at the Fennimore Cross Country Relays, the first varsity race of the day incorporates all the seventh runners from each of the sixteen schools.  As they take off on this hilly and challenging course, the spotlight (actually a sunbeam) shines on them alone.  A few sprint away only find their legs burning-out before the first hill.  Our New Glarus-Monticello freshman Ryan Austin (23:07), on the other hand (or foot), starts conservatively, passes the foolish and finishes 13th.
Another frosh, Garrett Grossen (22:15), places 11th in the sixth person race, senior Cade Beutler (21:04) crosses in 7th with the fifths, senior Andrew Newberry (21:19) 10th in the fourth person competition, freshman Adam Nelson (19:03) wins the next race and, finally, senior Christian Arnett (18:46) sprints through in second.
With two injuries on the varsity team, senior Jenna Molencamp (29:58) represents the team in the fifth person contest and places 11th. Senior Kelly Fredrickson (26:01) moves up to 9th, freshman Molly Molencamp (24:30) also holds 9th in her match.  Not to deviate from precedent, junior Gabby Whistler (25:03) finishes...9th.  Sophomore Gabbie Sawyer (21:30) proves that careful pacing pays dividends as she passes other teams' number ones to grab a 4th.
Simon Blohowiak (23:23) finds himself our fastest junior varsity boy, and ends the day as the 27th runner out of 60 competitors.
This coming Saturday, the NGM CC team travels to Platteville to race at one of our favorite places: the UW-P'ville CC course.