Priory’s cross country team began its season at the Forest Park Invitational several months earlier. While multiple runners achieved lifetime personal records, this was merely the surface of what the team was able to accomplish.
One week later, Priory’s Cross Country team would make its way down to Mokane, Missouri for the South Callaway Invitational. The entire team finished in the top 35 with Gregory Britt and Nick DeHaven running personal records and placing first and fourth. Justin Nangle, Samuel Palka, and Connor Guthrie also had remarkable races with the entire team placing within the top 35.
Over the next few meets, the team saw significant improvement. Captain Nick DeHaven got close to top 10 all-time, Gregory Britt got closer to the Priory record, Justin Nangle was nearing a sub-18 minute finish, Matthew Singer recovered from injury, Sam Palka worked hard in practice, Jacob Schmerold saw more improvements in his time, Sam Faust ran with his heart, along with Captain Connor Guthrie who also acted as the team’s optimistic leader. Patrick Hamill joined the cross country team and proved himself as a valuable runner. Priory was even able to secure multiple top two team placements at large meets and won their home meet. On the JV side, Rob Higgins, Matthew Goss, Ryan Trammell, Will McCracken, Dominic Dipasco, Michael Mangano, Andrew Cummings, Tommy (The Tank) Forget, Everett Feldmeir, Henry Springman, Robert Higgins, and Simon Lin, coming off an injury, all did remarkably well and showed great potential for next season.
In late October, the cross country team returned to South Callaway for the District Final. Due to the recent rain, freezing weather, and arctic winds, the conditions were comparable to Mount Everest. As the starting gun went off, a stampede of runners went barreling towards the narrow first turn. Sam Palka, running with determination, was met with a hellacious push and found himself under a stampede of runners. For a moment, it seemed like Sam’s fate would be the same as Mufasa’s in the Lion King. The starting gun was fired again, signaling a restart. The second time, Matthew Singer was met with a similar attack. Miraculously, a mysterious figure lifted him up saying, “Stay up champ.” Priory was able to make it out of the start unscathed and placed second, securing their spot at state.
The State Championship was held in Columbia, Missouri on Mizzou’s cross country course. This was Priory’s third year in a row being represented in the state final thanks to Coach Bobo, Dr. Griesbauer, and Coach Scott. The conditions were perfect for a great race. Unsurprisingly, the opening stretch of the race was exceptionally fast, with many people running a sub-3 kilometer. Many runners were unable to maintain their opening pace and quickly fell off. Priory, however, was able to maintain their speed. As the race progressed, each member of Priory’s cross country team moved up in placement. As runners neared the closing stretch of the race, they were met with the loud cheering of spectators. Gregory Britt crossed the line in 16:29, a new school record, Nick DeHaven finished in 16:45, the fourth fastest time in school history, Patrick Hamill in 17:00, Matthew Singer in 17:32, Justin Nangle in 17:38, Sam Faust in 18:51, and Connor Guthrie in 19:37. Every member of Priory’s cross country team ran a lifetime best, a remarkable accomplishment. The end of the season marked months worth of hard work and dedication. It also showed the future potential of the team. The underclassmen and rising high schoolers show great potential for next year’s season and we all look forward to seeing what they will accomplish.
