Sectionals. Oct. 30. 10 a.m. Senior Coleen Grone and junior Brianna Schroer begin their race. The Class 4-A girls race, the biggest and most competitive female race in high school Cross Country. All was going well, for the most part anyway.

“I have a displaced rib so I knew it would be difficult and painful but I just got through it,” Grone said. “I did really well. I finished in the top half of the qualifiers.”

Grone finished in 14th place among 70 runners in her race. Brianna also was running her hardest, coming in at her fastest time to date 20:41; this is also her personal record. However, only meters from the finish line another runner overtook her, taking the final slot, the 30th place which assured her a place in the State competition.

“I was mad, but she’s an 800 [meter] runner in track, so she has more sprinting skills,” Schroer said.

Despite the narrow loss of her fellow team- mate, Grone is still glad to have Schroer with her, at the very least on the sidelines to cheer her on.

“It was kind of a bummer at Sectionals with Brianna,” Cross Country coach, Beth Phillips said. “You just never know what people are go- ing to do. It’s good Coleen got it, though, because it’s her senior year.”

State competitions were held last Friday at Royal Oaks Golf Course in Jefferson City. But despite not running with her teammate, Grone was glad to run with other friends.

“It’s awesome that the girls are really nice,” Grone said. “It’s super cool that running connects us all. I can go to other schools and people know who I am.”

Sam Dulaney

Click here to see the results of the state meet.