Senior co-captain Nick Watson races on Senior Night, Tuesday, October 3. (Ally Sabgir/Staff)

With a third-place finish for the girls and a victory for the boys, the CA cross- country team started post-season with a bang at the Mid-State League meet on Saturday, October 14. Unlike previous races, this meet included fewer runners, which this meant a higher concentration of talent and an increased importance on every single finish.

Sophomore Annalise Grammel and freshman Regan Cornelius led the way for the girls and nabbed second and third, respectively. As the only underclassmen in the top five, the two girls held their own against opposing juniors and seniors. The next Viking, junior Ryan Milbourne, ran her way to nineteenth with senior Briyana Dragin crossing roughly a minute behind her to take twenty-second. Yas Salon snatched the last point-scoring position for the Vikes and finished in thirty-third.

Adding another victory to its MSL win streak, the boys dominated the course and were crowned MSL champs for the third year in a row. Senior co-captains Nick Robie and Nick Watson initiated the team’s momentum and finished within six seconds of each other, taking third and fifth, respectively. Also placing in the top ten, freshman Luke Nester seized eighth, and senior co-captain Chris Heermann nabbed tenth. Junior Liam McCann secured the team’s victory when he crossed in at fourteenth. The boys not only won, but they also beat Grandview—the next fastest team—by a wide margin of ten points.

Heermann expressed his pride in the team, saying, “When every place matters in a small meet like this, it’s amazing when everybody digs deep to pass the man in front of him.”

The Vikes travel to Watkins Memorial High School on Saturday, October 21, to race in districts meet. They need to earn a top four spot to assure their post-season continues.