The MSMS cross-country team concluded its season at the MHSAA State Cross Country Championships in Clinton on Oct. 31, where the Frazer team placed 11th in the 1A Boys 5K.
After participating in the Oct. 24 Eupora regional meet, eight runners qualified for the state championship: Jasmaan Banipal, Isabel Beckman, Kyler Boothe, Lucas Griffith, Ramse Jefferson, Lucas Sloan, Jonathan Stancill and Nina Weinstein.
Senior Lucas Griffith said he aimed to break 20 minutes, but the course’s elevation change proved challenging.
“We could’ve prepared a little more,” Griffith said. “We had a shorter season compared to most other teams, but I knew that we had practiced up to that point, so we wouldn’t do too bad.”
For seniors, this meet marked the end of their high school cross-country careers.
Senior Lucas Sloan, who has run cross-country since seventh grade, said he felt extremely excited and nervous about the event.
“This was the end of a really big chapter in my life,” Sloan said.
Senior Jonathan Stancill said realizing he was running his final race was surreal.
“It was pretty weird, because it was my last race ever, and that was kind of crazy,” Stancill said.
Sloan said everyone’s performances were really good and was extremely proud of his juniors.
“Everyone finishing their meet already [deserves] big praise from me, just because they came out, they showed out and they did what they were supposed to do,” Sloan said, “and the level of dedication to the sport this whole year has been astronomically amazing.”
Stancill said the team’s regional meet victory was a standout moment this season. In the meet, Lucas Griffith and Nina Weinstein placed first in their respective races.
“That was really cool because we’re this tiny school, so winning a race is unprecedented,” Stancill said.
As the season progressed, Griffith said runners grew more confident, especially those who had never run before.
“Before, they didn’t really know if they would finish or do very well,” he said. “I think they got used to their pacing. They were more comfortable.”
Sloan said the runners’ biggest strength was their commitment despite the demands of being MSMS students.
“There’s a lot of late nights … it’s very stressful, and the fact that they carved time out of their day in order to come and do something … I thought that was really important,” Sloan said. “Cross-country is a big part of my life, and seeing other people enjoy it is really rewarding to me.”
Joining the cross-country team helped him find his community at MSMS, Sloan said.
“I think that being a part of a team so early on into junior year really set me up with the friends that I have now,” Sloan said. “I got to do something that I loved with some of the closest people in my life … I hope that other people can find and have the same experiences that I did.”
