KEARNEY, Neb. — The sprint was more dramatic, the finish much closer and the win very satisfying for Marissa DeWispelare.
The junior from David City Aquinas denied Andrea Weeder a place in state history as a four-time cross country champion.
DeWispelare outsprinted the senior from Lindsay Holy Family to cross the finish line at Kearney Country Club in 15:28.8. Weeder was .3 seconds behind.
It was the same outcome as last week’s district meet, in which DeWispelare was 2 seconds ahead.
“Ever since freshman year, I was gunning for her,’” DeWispelare said. “I never thought I had a shot to get her. But it’s been a good season for me.
“She’s an outstanding runner. I’m so honored to run against her.”
Class D’s boys champion was Austin Hamm of Bloomfield with Crofton’s girls winning their sixth consecutive team title. Ord’s boys won their first title.
DeWispelare said she and Weeder, running for the Holy Family/Newman Grove cooperative-sponsorship team, were together much of the race.
Down the stretch, she said, “I knew it was then or never. A couple times I thought I had a stride on her.”
“With this being her senior year, this was my last chance to run against her. She was always the monkey in front of me and I finally got that off my back.”
Hamm, a senior, was about 19 seconds ahead of runner-up Dillon Eckel of Gibbon.
He said he was thrilled and motivated by a group of 25 classmates coming to the meet by bus to support the school’s first team at state in more than 20 years.
Crofton’s girls got a fourth-place finish from Danielle Riesberg and a sixth from Tiffany Tramp, with Kendy Kube 15th, as the Warriors scored 36 points to 52 for Holy Family/Newman Grove.
Ord won a three-way race with 73 points to 74 for defending champion Nebraska Christian. Paxton had 77. Andrew Fields, who was fifth, was the only medalist for the Chanticleers.
They won the school’s first state championship in any boys sport since Class B golf in 1965.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1041, stu.pospisil@owh.com
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