Eight Blair Bears earned NSAA State Cross-Country Championships qualifications Thursday during the Class B District 2 Meet at Walnut Grove Park in Omaha.
Coach Carson Norine's girls took third to earn a team spot for Friday's race at Kearney Country Club, while two boys — Roland Barondeau and Lane Christensen — earned their own state bids with top-15 results during the BHS team's fifth-place effort.
Jade Wickwire led the Bears overall, though, securing sixth individually in just 20:57.1 across 5 kilometers. She made a push at the end of the race to move up from ninth.
“I knew it was going to hurt the whole entire time, but I'm like, 'I've got to do this for my team,'” Wickwire said. “We were kind of on the border because we didn't have Nadia (Davey).”
The unable-to-compete senior couldn't run, but the Bears still yearned for a top-three finish to qualify as a unit. Several runners stepped up to make it a reality.
Kate Wulf took 13th in 21:31.6, while Ryen Anderson and Emma Himes secured 16th and 18th, respectively. Ryleigh Schroeter was 20th and Stevie Avila took 27th.
“I'm so proud of us,” Wulf said. “Stevie (Avila) and Emma (Himes), as freshman, stepped in. They were really nervous, I could tell.”
The ninth-graders delivered, though. Wulf congratulated Avila for her time — 23:29.4 — and complimented Himes for improving all season long.
“She was prepared for this and I knew she could do it,” the 13th-place finisher said.
Barondeau prepared for moments like Thursday's all season long, too. After a qualifying effort at Walnut Grove Park, he said he did what needed to get done this fall, running smart.
“(I took) the workouts and the practices as they needed to be,” the runner said. “If they were hard workouts, I would run hard. If they were easy workouts, I'd do easy — not over-do myself.”
Needing to finish within the top-15 to qualify individually, Barondeau said his coaches kept him aware of his positioning to secure 14th in 18:13.7.
“Knowing where I was helps me stay there and wants me to make sure I don't fall back,” he said. “It helps me keep my pace.”
Christensen kept pace, too, snatching the last qualifying spot, 15th, by 1.1 seconds.
“It's unreal,” he said.
The Bear credited offseason summer work as the key to his success.
“I ran a lot of miles,” Christensen said. “And, in the practices, I pushed.”
Now, there's just one more race to push through in Kearney. The Class B start times are noon and 1 p.m. on Friday.
Wickwire has dealt with injuries in the past, but is now ready for a state race to remember. She said, “Finally I'm healthy and I've pushed myself hard enough.”
CLASS B DISTRICT 2 MEET
Thursday at Walnut Grove Park, Omaha
(Top-3 teams, top-15 individuals qualify for state)
BOYS
Team standings: Omaha Skutt 28, Gretna 35, Gretna East 48, Waverly 52, Blair 81, Platteview 101, Ralston 135.
5K race winner: Braden Lofquest, Gretna East, 15:47.
Blair results: 14, Roland Barondeau, 18:13.7. 15, Lane Christensen, 18:18.8. 23, Michael Amandus, 19:07.8. 29, Declan McCabe, 19:23.2. 31, Jacob Baker, 19:39.6. 32, Kieran Flynn, 19:40.3.
GIRLS
Team standings: Gretna 30, Bennington 34, Blair 53, Platteview 66, Gretna East 90, Omaha Mercy 98, Omaha Gross 107, Nebraska City 144.
5K race winner: Lydia Stewart, Platteview, 19:50.8.
Blair results: 6, Jade Wickwire, 20:57.1. 13, Kate Wulf, 21:31.6. 16, Ryen Anderson, 21:57.5. 18, Emma Himes, 22:05.1. 20, Ryleigh Schroeter, 22:23.2. 27, Stevie Avila, 23:29.4.
