MONROE - The last time Monroe sophomore Rachel Meier ran a cross country race at Twining Park she passed out after the finish. She didn't want a repeat of that performance in Tuesday's Badger Challenge at Twining Park.
She vowed to heed her coach's advice by easing into the race before making her move. At the 1 1/2-mile mark, Meier was in eighth place, but she attacked the final 1,000 meters and blew by Waunakee freshman Reagan Hoopes and Madison Edgewood sophomore Maddie McClimon to win the individual title of the freshman-sophomore race.
Meier's time of 20 minutes, 39.4 seconds was the best time out of 258 runners combined in the freshman-sophomore and junior-senior 5,000-meter races.
"Honestly, I didn't think I would catch the two girls in front of me and win it," Meier said. "I was just hoping to finish third. I got a lot of motivation from my coaches and teammates. At the end, I started to see and realized that I could win it. The coaches made me get out of my head and start running. I still didn't feel 100 percent. I'm still a little weak. I was just glad I could push through the pain."
The Monroe girls cross country team finished fourth out of the 14 teams from the Badger North and South. The scores were based on the top five times from each team regardless of the race. Oregon won the Challenge with a combined time of 110:08.9, edging Waunakee (110:15.2).
Waunakee had the top two runners in the junior-senior race led by champion Kaitlyn Galgon (21:06.5). Junior teammate Emily Royston finished second in the junior-senior race (21:29.3).
Monona Grove took third (111:14.4) followed by Madison Edgewood (111:49). The Crusaders were just 12.1 seconds ahead of the Cheesemakers (112:01.1).
Monroe girls cross country coach Dave Hirsbrunner was amazed by Meier's execution of her racing game plan.
"A lot of people don't understand how tactical and strategic a cross country race can be," Hirsbrunner said. "She knew with 1,000 to go after she crossed the bridge she could go get them. She gobbled them up and didn't just catch them. She blew by them."
Monroe junior Emma Peterson took eighth in the junior-senior race (22:04.2) and senior Kayla Einbeck was 17th (22:43). Junior Jordan Hirsbrunner finished 23rd (23:08.3) and senior Isabel Bazley was 28th (23:26.2).
"After I saw Rachel win the first race, I thought on any kind of day if she can do it I can do it," Peterson said. "I was really pumped for this race."
Peterson battled shin splints last year and she is still dealing with the pain from that injury.
"I'm getting better at managing it," she said of the shin splints. "I'm always icing it every day."
Peterson said the team just wanted to run hard in front of the home crowd.
"It's nice to show off in front of your hometown," Peterson said.
Peterson came six seconds away from setting a personal-record time.
"I have trained really hard this summer and it's paying off," she said.
Hirsbrunner is excited about Peterson's ascent this season.
"Emma is very strong," Hirsbrunner said. "She is very strong willed and gutty. She is getting better and better every time out. She has a great attitude."
Peterson isn't the only runner who has battled through pain. The Cheesemakers trio of Einbeck, Hirsbrunner and Bazley have been battling nagging leg injuries.
"We have some girls with some sore legs," Hirsbrunner said. "I'm not sure if it's fatigue. We are happy with how they competed. We are hoping we can put it all together when we need to down the road."
She vowed to heed her coach's advice by easing into the race before making her move. At the 1 1/2-mile mark, Meier was in eighth place, but she attacked the final 1,000 meters and blew by Waunakee freshman Reagan Hoopes and Madison Edgewood sophomore Maddie McClimon to win the individual title of the freshman-sophomore race.
Meier's time of 20 minutes, 39.4 seconds was the best time out of 258 runners combined in the freshman-sophomore and junior-senior 5,000-meter races.
"Honestly, I didn't think I would catch the two girls in front of me and win it," Meier said. "I was just hoping to finish third. I got a lot of motivation from my coaches and teammates. At the end, I started to see and realized that I could win it. The coaches made me get out of my head and start running. I still didn't feel 100 percent. I'm still a little weak. I was just glad I could push through the pain."
The Monroe girls cross country team finished fourth out of the 14 teams from the Badger North and South. The scores were based on the top five times from each team regardless of the race. Oregon won the Challenge with a combined time of 110:08.9, edging Waunakee (110:15.2).
Waunakee had the top two runners in the junior-senior race led by champion Kaitlyn Galgon (21:06.5). Junior teammate Emily Royston finished second in the junior-senior race (21:29.3).
Monona Grove took third (111:14.4) followed by Madison Edgewood (111:49). The Crusaders were just 12.1 seconds ahead of the Cheesemakers (112:01.1).
Monroe girls cross country coach Dave Hirsbrunner was amazed by Meier's execution of her racing game plan.
"A lot of people don't understand how tactical and strategic a cross country race can be," Hirsbrunner said. "She knew with 1,000 to go after she crossed the bridge she could go get them. She gobbled them up and didn't just catch them. She blew by them."
Monroe junior Emma Peterson took eighth in the junior-senior race (22:04.2) and senior Kayla Einbeck was 17th (22:43). Junior Jordan Hirsbrunner finished 23rd (23:08.3) and senior Isabel Bazley was 28th (23:26.2).
"After I saw Rachel win the first race, I thought on any kind of day if she can do it I can do it," Peterson said. "I was really pumped for this race."
Peterson battled shin splints last year and she is still dealing with the pain from that injury.
"I'm getting better at managing it," she said of the shin splints. "I'm always icing it every day."
Peterson said the team just wanted to run hard in front of the home crowd.
"It's nice to show off in front of your hometown," Peterson said.
Peterson came six seconds away from setting a personal-record time.
"I have trained really hard this summer and it's paying off," she said.
Hirsbrunner is excited about Peterson's ascent this season.
"Emma is very strong," Hirsbrunner said. "She is very strong willed and gutty. She is getting better and better every time out. She has a great attitude."
Peterson isn't the only runner who has battled through pain. The Cheesemakers trio of Einbeck, Hirsbrunner and Bazley have been battling nagging leg injuries.
"We have some girls with some sore legs," Hirsbrunner said. "I'm not sure if it's fatigue. We are happy with how they competed. We are hoping we can put it all together when we need to down the road."
