Pierce Runs Under the Stars
By Eleanor Bauermeister
Usually, the cross-country team runs under harsh conditions, hot sun beating down and sweat dripping off them, or cold, rainy weather that is not pleasant at all. However, on Tuesday, October 6, the junior high cross-country team got to experience a much different type of racing environment. They got to race under the lights with a course lit up by neon lights, and not to mention, perfect running weather.
While the Twilight Meet has only been going on for four years, it is already something that many runners, coaches, and spectators enjoy getting to go to. The meet originally got started when head coach Gary Shada was driving past the Pierce Golf Course on a night when Wisnieski Construction Company was sponsoring a glow-in-the-dark golf tournament for the public. Wisnieski Construction had lit up the course, and Shada thought that it would be a good idea to light up the course, but for a cross-country meet instead. Shada knew that there were other schools that did twilight meets and even a college that put one on. So he talked to principal Mark Brahmer and asked the Pierce High Booster Club to help offset the cost of the lights for the course.
“This meet that we just had was the largest junior high meet we’ve ever had. There were over 215 runners. We had 17 teams, and ever since it’s been going on, it’s been nothing but compliments,” Shada said.
The junior high team may be small, but they are mighty. On the boys' side, Leighton DeBoer, grade eight, placed fifth out of 117 other boys with a time of 12:04.7. On the girls' side, Paityn Christiansen, grade eight, led the team with a time of 14:26.4, placing 19th. Following Christiansen was Alexa Peters, grade seven, with a time of 15:19.8, giving her 32nd place. Finally, Tally Weinrich, grade seven, placed 75th with a time of 17:46.3.
“I liked it (running at the twilight meet) because it was dark, and it was also a whole lot of fun because I’ve never really run in the dark, so it was just a whole new thing for me,” Weinrich said.
While this was the final meet for the junior high team, be sure to catch the Pierce High cross-country team in their district meet at Boone Central at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 14.
