On November 1, 2018, Midlo’s Cross Country team competed in one of the biggest meets of the year, 4A Region B Cross Country Regional Championship. This competition challenges every participant, for the course boasts ruthless hills, unsteady ground, and narrow pathways. Regardless of the grueling pain the runners endured, everyone boarded the returning vans with proud smiles.

At 3:15, the starting gun sounded, and the Midlo Varsity Girls began their journey. The team consisted of Nicole Quiram, Annabel Schepker, Caroline Bowe, Chloe Martin, Lena Caffall, Olivia Morris, and Katherine Krievs. As the runners began their first mile, Quiram, Bowe, and Krievs held ground in the leading pack, ready to fight for a title. The competition continued, and Quiram and Schepker started as challenging runners, which resulted in their sixth and seventh place finishes. Close behind, Bowe used her speedy skills to fend off competitors, and finished in eigth place. Then, Martin finished in ninth place, ahead of a competitor by a mere tenth of a second. Caffall and Morris completed the race in twelfth and fifteenth place, respectively. Morris, a senior, shares that the race felt “really exciting because we won and because we’ve done well over the last four years,” and that she “is really excited to travel to states.”

Shortly after the girls’ race concluded, the boys race began. The Midlo boys felt determined to win, as well as to make Coach Stan Morgan proud. The team consisted of Max Etka, Brian Tavenner, Joey Maguire, Ian Gray, Will Gardner, Andrew Steenkamer, and Ben Scott. As the race progressed, Etka led the pack, and eventually emerged as the winner of the Regional Competition. Following behind Etka, Tavenner finished fourth in the region, earning respect from teammates and competitors alike. Maguire completed the race in eleventh place, followed by Gray, who crossed the line in fourteenth. In sixteenth place, Gardner used his speed to fend off many competitors. Following Gardner, Steenkamer finished in seventeenth, and Scott completed the race in nineteenth place.

Following the conclusion of the boys’ race, the awards ceremony began, and Midlo swept the podium, for both teams won the championship trophy. On the boys’ side, Etka and Tavenner took the stage, earning medallions for finishing in the top ten places. Quiram, Schepker, Bowe, and Martin also stepped into the spotlight, as they received medallions for completing the race in the top ten places.

Midlo Cross Country shined on Thursday, demonstrating the superiority of Midlothian Cross Country. The State Competition begins on Saturday, November 10, 2018.