Rocket runners compete at State XC

The NR-S Cross Country program has concluded their 2023 season.

Head coach Joe Greiner and runners Gabe Smith, Seth Greiner and Neecie Swart traveled to Parkhurst Campground in Jamestown for the state cross country meet on Saturday, Oct. 28.

The event was originally supposed to take place on Friday, Oct. 27, but was postponed to the following day due to the winter storm that dropped several inches of snow in the area.

Though they had an extra day to clear the snow, the event organizers could do nothing about the below-freezing temperatures, forcing hundreds of runners to brave the cold while competing in the most important event of their season.

Despite the cold, the Rockets' runners still put their best foot forward and did their best to end the season on a positive note.

As was the case at regionals, the three 7th graders would be going up against much older and more experienced competition. And for two of them, Greiner and Swart, this would also be just their second-ever varsity 5K – and for Smith it was only his third.

Nevertheless, they braved the conditions and pushed on, gaining valuable experience along the way.

Smith paced the Rockets in the boys' race, crossing the finish line in 184th place with a time of 21:39.

Next across the line was Greiner, coming in at 335th place with a time of 25:52. In the girls' 5K, Swart finished in 235th place with a time of 29:20.

The event capped off a successful season for coach Greiner and his young team, who brought back a program that didn't even exist the year prior.

"I was blessed this year with some excellent young runners to work with," said coach Greiner. "Augie, Makaya, Elise, Seth, Gabe, Neecie, Vinnie and Jacob have made my first year of cross country coaching fairly easy, quite fun, and extremely productive."

Coach Greiner also expressed just how pleased he was to see everyone's growth throughout the season.

"I got to watch the whole team stack personal record on top of personal record," he said. "I got to watch sixth graders struggle to finish a race without stopping, to grow into competitive 3k runners even against significantly older runners. I watched seventh graders try their hands at 3Ks, then at the last second switch to a full 5K against the oldest, fastest runners in the state in terrible weather."

With the experience gained this season, particularly for those who challenged themselves to compete in varsity races, the future of NR-S Cross Country seems brighter than ever.