With 37 teams lunging at the line all for the same race, tensions were high as early placement was key in order to achieve success. However, FHC emerged as a top-ten finisher on both the guys and girls’ sides of the Shepherd Bluejay Invitational.
The Shepherd Bluejay Invitational is notoriously known for its 15 sharp turns and thin racing trails, but makes up for the bad rumors by also being flat and extremely fast if you position yourself well enough. For the girls’ side, the race went as well as anyone could imagine.
“We had five PRs out of seven runners,” said assistant coach Dan Kasprowitcz. “We overall just raced amazing today.”
The lady Rangers were led by senior Clara James-Heer, who has recently committed to the University of Michigan for both cross country and track. James-Heer earned a third-place finish with an astonishing time of 17:44.2. James-Heer believes that she and the team raced well, given the large meet.
“I was really consistent on my split times,” James-Heer said. “The team worked really well together. It was also a nice course, so it made [the race] fun.”
Behind James-Heer, the rest of the FHC girls cross-country team fought tirelessly for positioning. Most notably, junior Anna Sybenga and junior Clare Mathison as they placed within the top 40, earning them a medal at the award ceremony. Sybenga and Mathison worked together, finishing only nine places and seven seconds away from each other. While the lady Rangers had already secured three spots in the top 40, senior Peyton Ludwig and junior Mia Stibitz capped off the scoring places for FHC, ultimately giving them the fourth-place finish overall. James-Heer was incredibly proud of her teammates but noted how she can make more of a difference in the future.
“I think I can improve on not going out too hard the first 200 meters,” James-Heer said. “Also by having a better kick at the end of my race. Normally I get passed by people at the finish, but today it was only one person so I’m improving.”
Switching over to the guys’ side of the race, junior Sawyer McCarthy led the way for the FHC boys cross-country team—placing 38th overall and running an exceptional time of 16:08.1. McCarthy had a strategy in mind, and made sure to deploy it during the race.
“I wanted to go out hard,” McCarthy said. “When it came down to the last mile, it came down to asking myself ‘how bad I want it,’ and I wanted it more.”
While no other FHC boys earned a medaling position, sticking together was key in order to salvage position points. Senior Parker Ludwig and junior Jacob Sanford both crossed the line at 16:25 to earn the boys crucial points. Capping off the scoring for the boys was junior Trevor Timmer, who ran a personal best of 17:12.8. Although the team raced great and battled for an eight-place finish, McCarthy believes that there is room for improvement as a team.
“One thing we can work on together is working together,” McCarthy said. “We are really close together at the end of the race. We can work together and push each other throughout the race to be stronger.”
While eighth place may seem like a disappointment for the boys team, who are ranked sixth in the state for Division I, there are other factors to take into consideration. The boys were bested by East Grand Rapids and Forest Hills Eastern, who happen to be the best two teams in MHSAA Division II. Also, freshman Ben Romero has yet to come back and help the team up the charts.
Although no victories were accounted for, the FHC cross-country team has gained valuable experience and information regarding how to race larger meets. The team will be able to walk into meets such as regionals and states and have more knowledge of how to race meets of a larger multitude. Coaches, too, will utilize information gained from the results at Shepherd Bluejay Invitational to make sure the team will endure success in the future. Coach Kasprowitcz notes how he believes bigger meets should be run.
“Getting out, but not too hard, and getting position as well as a rhythm,” Kasprowitcz said. “Also by trying to work those last two miles and pass as many people as possible. Work together as well, trying to stay close to your teammates.”
