Cross Country Runners Have Solid Day at State Meet

Three members of the Ord High School cross country teams competed at the state cross country meet this past Friday in Kearney.  All three competed in the Class C girls portion of the meet and had a solid day.  “I thought we ran pretty good races in a very competitive field”, Coach Derry Trampe said.  “It was a tough day to run with the cold temperatures and the wind but I felt like our girls really ran well.  You would always like to have someone if not all of your kids win a medal but this is the state meet and it takes great performances to win a medal.  Overall, I am very pleased with the performances of our girls and proud of the fact that they were here competing.”

Kloe Severance was the top finisher for the Chants as she finished 39th in the field of 115 runners.  Severance completed the 5,000-meter course in a time of 21:30.8.  “Kloe was only 26 seconds slower than her best time on this course and that was set when she won a medal at the state meet”, Trampe said.  “With the conditions as tough as they were I was surprised that she had that good of a time and finished outside the top 20.  That gives you an idea of how competitive this race was.”  This race was the third time Severance has competed in the state meet and wraps up a very successful cross country career.  “Kloe has been a leader for our cross country team for a lot of years and it will be hard to see her move on.  We have been fortunate to have her as a part of our team”, Trampe stated.

Delaney Cargill, the other senior qualifier, ran in her first state meet this year.  This is only the second season that Cargill has been on the cross country team.  “Delaney really had a great year and she finished it off with a solid run at the state meet”, Coach Trampe stated.  Cargill finished in 70th place in a time of 22:30.8.  “This race gets out really fast and Delaney was back in the pack at the mile but she just kept passing people in the last two miles and really improved her finish.  Delaney is a very tough competitor and that is what I will miss about her next year. I was happy to have the opportunity to work with her these past two seasons because she is such a dedicated athlete.  It is a lot of fun to coach kids like her.”

Macy Warner finished just behind Cargill as she placed 77th in a time of 22:44.3.  This was the third best time of the season for Macy.  “Macy had a really good race on a very hilly course”, Coach Trampe commented.  “I was a little worried about how she would handle the hills and she did a great job of attacking the hills and passing people going uphill.  I was really impressed with how she competed in this meet.”  This was also the first time the junior qualified for the state meet.  “It was great to get Macy to this meet so she could compete on this course and get a feel for what it is like.  I am looking forward to seeing how much she improves next season as she gets a little older and stronger.  She has really improved a lot over the last three years and I am very proud of what she accomplished this season.”