Bartlett High School
October 5, 2024
Courtesy of VHS Cross-Country Coach
The Bucs Cross-Country Running team returned to Bartlett to face off against the best DII runners in the state. The state course was much drier than a few weeks ago at the preview and was paired with cloudy, cool temps, perfect for running. The grass and dirt course is two laps that weave through a birch forest and through the “stadium,” making it an easy course for spectators. Runners had been preparing for this course the last couple of months with lots of hills and speed workouts. The faster times from flat, easy courses at the beginning of the season, seemed a distant memory, until today.
The races started with the girls. Sophomore Jewely Weber represented Valdez as the lone runner against 64 other girls. J. Weber started off fast, averaging under 5 minutes per kilometer. She had her eye on two Delta runners that she was able to pass as she neared the finish line. J. Weber powered through the finish line with another Personal Record, by 22 seconds, finishing 50th at 25:23.
The team was psyched to start the day with PR on a hilly course, proving the impossible is possible. Sophomore Robert Taylor substituted for Freshman Logan Beck as he nurses an injured knee. At the sound of the gun, the boys were off. Junior Reggie Baksis quickly took the lead for the team, with Junior James Humphrey not far behind, against a total of 64 runners. Staying strong and determined, these two powerhouses remained seconds apart. The team remained within sight of each other for the first lap of the race, then Baksis, Humphrey, and Freshman Kaden VanBuskirk pulled ahead of the rest. Senior Dalen Beck and Freshman Cirque Carter remained neck and neck for the entirety of the race, until the very end. Senior Romen Weber and Sophomore Robert Taylor also remained within seconds of each other, Taylor chasing another PR.
Baksis came into view first for Valdez, finally seeing a sub-18 finish in sight, Baksis cruised across the finish line in 17th place at 17:58, averaging 5:48/mile. Humphrey wasn’t far behind, giving everything he had left to bust out a PR in 23rd place at 18:16, averaging 5:53/mile. Thirty seconds later, VanBuskirk powered through to the end in 34th place at 18:48, averaging 6:04/mile. A minute later, D. Beck turned on a sprint to finally get back to sub-20, finishing in 51st place at 19:45, averaging 6:22/mile. Carter pushed through in 53rd place at 20:00, averaging 6:27/mile. A minute later, R. Weber came into view, pushing himself to finish strong in 60th place at 21:14, averaging 6:51/mile. Taylor was just 10 seconds behind, a PR eluding him this time. Taylor sprinted to the end in 61st place at 21:24, averaging 6:54/mile. These strong finishes earned Valdez a 6th place as a team, beating out Monroe and Seward.
These athletes endured grueling workouts and grew as athletes and as a team. The transformation from day 1 of practice to the last race at state is phenomenal. Each runner learned when to challenge themselves and when to back off. Runners also learned that this individual sport needs the support of a team to challenge them and to cheer them on. Way to go Runners!
