CSC runners return after recovery week

After taking a week off between meets due to sickness, CSC cross-country runners returned to the races, Friday in Minneapolis for the Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota.

“I thought that it would be more beneficial for our group to hang back and just really focusing on getting our team back to full strength,” Luke Karamitros, head cross-country coach, said. “Last thing you want to do is race whenever you’re sick. It’s really hard to handle all of that stress.”

Despite being scheduled to run in Black Hills State University’s Gage McSpadden Memorial meet on Sept. 17, Karamitros decided to cancel those plans to give the team recovery time for sickness that had been spreading around campus.

“That’s why I’m also grateful and proud of how our kids competed,” Karamitros said.

Finishing 99th of 374 total runners, Cale Schafer, freshman of Lasalle, Colorado, led the Eagles to the finish line with a time of 27:58.5. Over the course of the race, he passed about 110 runners and held onto the lead position for the first time as an Eagle.

Behind Schafer was Garrett Avery, sophomore of Sheridan, Wyoming, who placed 101st with a time of 28:09.1.

“I was able to work with Garrett Avery in the race and we pushed each other hard throughout,” Schafer said. “Either one of us could’ve finished as our first runner, and I’m happy with how we raced.”

Noah Burtis, sophomore of Berthoud, Colorado, and Joaquin Venzor, freshman of Greeley, Colorado, both finished with times that were seconds apart. Burtis was timed at 28:18.6 placing in 108th while Venzor finished in 111th place with a time of 28:21.0.

CSC’s men’s cross-country team finished with 547 points, placing 18th of 27 in the Maroon 8k race and the women’s cross-country team for CSC finished 24th of 27 teams with 698 points in the Maroon 6k.

“On the women’s side, the whole crew did really good,” Karamitros said. “It was a collective effort, and everyone improved even more from our first race.”

Leading the race for the women’s team, Alissa Wieman, freshman of Box Elder, South Dakota, placed 118th against 327 runner, setting a time for 24:52.1.

A little over a minute behind Wieman, Sydney Settles, junior of Lincoln, placed 181st with a time of 25:53.1.

The Eagle runners compete in the FHSU Tiger Open for their last regular season meet on Saturday, Oct. 9, in Hays, Kansas.