NIGHTINGALE STARS FOR SOUTH, BUT JAGS JUST MISS ADVANCING AS A TEAM

 
RAYMORE-PECULIAR, Mo. – Surprising success and bittersweet memories are emotions two area cross country teams brought back from Saturday’s Class 4 District 7 meet at Raymore-Peculiar’s cross country course.
            The surprising success came from the Blue Springs boys, who thought they had missed out on the chance to advance as a team, to next week’s sectional meet at Longview Community College, by a handful of points for the second year in a row.
            “I wasn’t a happy guy to be around until the final results were announced,” said Wildcats boys cross country coach Frank Gallick, whose team finished with 115 points to top Blue Springs South (129) for the final team berth.
            “We had Ryan Podjenski come in ninth (16:55) and that really helped because South’s runners were right there with most of our other runners.
            “We had four guys in the top 30 – but we didn’t run as well as we ran at conference (where the Wildcats placed third). I was really kind of shocked and surprised. It was great being able to tell the kids we live to run another day as a team.”
            Blue Springs South girls coach Ryan Unruh had hoped to tell his Jaguars they had lived to run another day as a team, but that didn’t happen as they were edged for the fourth and final girls team spot by St. Teresa’s Academy – 112 to 115 points.
            The top four teams and top 30 individual runners advance to next Saturday’s sectional competition. The top 10 runners are all-district.
“Very bittersweet,” Unruh said after Samantha Nightingale overcame a bout of bronchitis to finish third (18:58). “We all knew that Sam was going to give us everything she had – but to finish just three points from fourth place was pretty tough on the girls and the coaching staff.
            “We were healthy and we ran hard as a team, we just got beat by a better team.”
            The fact that all of her teammates are not advancing with her next week took some of the luster off Nightingale’s performance.
            “I wanted to be in the top three, to run and compete with the Lee’s Summit West girls, and I was able to do that,” said Nightingale, who was not able to compete at conference because of her recent illness.
            “It’s kind of sad that we aren’t advancing as a team, but there’s nothing we can do about it. At least I’ll have two of my teammates running with me.”
            Mikayla Griesbauer was 19th and Lindsay Case was 29th.
            Podjenski will be joined by teammates Dalton Joyce (13), Simon Belete (18), Dominic Piccinini (30), Brit Trusty (45), Vincent Pistone (48) and Alex Villaneuva (48).
            Blue Springs South’s Ian Simpkins (17), Marcus Wolfenbarger (20), Shane Wilson (26) and Jordan Tipton (28) advance to sectionals.
            “My goal was a top 10 finish, and I got that, even though I think I could have run a better race,” Podjenski said. “It was really one of my poorer races of the season. But as unhappy as I was with my performance, I was so thrilled that we placed fourth and are advancing as a team to sectionals.
            “We went on a cool-down run after we ran and we left thinking we were in fifth place as a team. When we came back and found out we were fourth we had to find out to make sure someone wasn’t pulling a joke on us.
            “The entire team attitude just lit up after we got the good news.”
            Lee’s Summit West’s Kevin Colon won the boys race in a time of 16:12. West’s Chelsey Phoebus won the girls race in 18:34.
            Lee’s Summit North (25) won the boys title followed by Lee’s Summit West (73), Rockhurst (78), Blue Springs (115), Blue Springs South (129), Raymore-Peculiar (146), Lee’s Summit (198), Raytown (221), Raytown South (238) and Belton (261).
            Lee’s Summit West (36) won the girls title followed by Raymore-Peculiar (75), Lee’s Summit North (75), St. Teresa’s Academy (112), Blue Springs South (115), Lee’s Summit (163), Blue Springs (178) and Raytown South (195).