Milford cross country had “a really good day” at districts, Coach Jake Kment said. The Eagles finished with a district champion, a fourth-place individual and a third-place team finish for the boys and three individual qualifiers for the girls.
“It worked out about as good as it could have,” he said.
Avery Carter won his second consecutive district title, beating the field in 17:04.12.
“He ran a pretty good race,” Kment said. “It was incredibly windy, but he fought through and was able to hold off a couple at the end. It was a solid run for him.”
Garrett Freeman crossed the finish line in fourth place and with a time of 17:38.49.
“That was an incredible run for him,” Kment said. “He was ecstatic with this.”
Freeman’s strategy is to start out further back in the pack and then pick off runners throughout the race. He had third place in his sights at the end, Kment said.
Jack Stahl was Milford’s third finisher, placing 32nd in one of the best races of his career, the coach said.
“He showed good senior leadership,” he said.
Sylus Rakow is usually Milford’s third runner, but he had a rough day, Kment said. He finished in 37th place.
“He fought hard for 20 minutes to stay in,” Kment said.
Kellen Lovitt finished 42nd for the Eagles. He has been a consistent placer for the team, always running in the low 20s, the coach said.
“We know what to expect. He provides good depth,” he said.
Jonny Kohout didn’t have his best race, finishing 53rd and fighting through a bum knee.
“With how he ran at the beginning of the season, he should be top 20,” Kment said.
Overall, however, it was good to see everyone respond and showcase the team’s depth, he said.
In the girls’ race, the Eagles weren’t expected to qualify as a team, but MHS finished closer to third (seven points) than Kment thought they would. The top three runners had the races of their lives the same day, he said.
Abby Crabtree led the way with a seventh-place finish and an overall personal best time of 21:56.1. Ellison Piening qualified for state for the fourth time in her career, placing 10th in 22:06.37, her best time of the season.
“As of now, she has run and finished every race for four years. That’s 10 5Ks, including state,” Kment said. “That speaks to her durability and consistency.”
Elsa Schweitzer placed 14th in 22:38.1, her best time of the season, to earn a place at state.
“We ran our best race when it mattered most,” Kment said.
He said he could tell by the body language before the race that the girls were confident.
Ambry Armbrust was the team’s fourth runner, placing 32nd. She’s been battling an injury all season.
Kment said about halfway through the race, the coaches realized Milford could have a chance at third place. Armbrust did everything she could to hold her position and give the team its best shot.
Sadye Hill was the team’s fifth runner, finishing 46th.
The Eagles will run at state Friday, Oct. 25, at the Kearney Country Club. Races start at 3 p.m. for the boys and 4 p.m. for the girls.
“We’re never satisfied with just making it to state,” Kment said. “Our goal is to run our best race yet.”
