Cross Country: Rain No Match For Runners

Valle Catholic’s Madelyn Griffard runs through standing water from heavy rains at the Cape Notre Dame Regional Invitational from Saturday at Cape Girardeau. (PHOTO BY ERIC VICCARO/Herald staff)

By ERIC VICCARO

eviccaro@stegenherald.com

CAPE GIRARDEAU — Splish, splash. 

That’s the sound runners’ shoes made on Saturday morning as both the Valle Catholic and Ste. Genevieve cross country teams competed at the Cape Notre Dame Invitational on Saturday morning.

Local boys fared well, with four of them earning top-25 finishes.

Valle Catholic’s Peter Roth was the top finisher, taking 12th place in a time of 18:24.98 — an outstanding time considering how muddy conditions became.

“The course was a pond,” Valle Catholic head cross country coach Samer Zoughaib said. “In some places, there was one or two inches of standing water. But, those that ran, ran well considering the elements.”

Both Ste. Genevieve and Valle Catholic were tuning up for this week’s Mineral Area Activities Association meet at Potosi’s City Park.

Braden Coleman turned in the Valle Catholic’s boys’ next best time in 19:08.40, which was good enough for 29th.

Josef Flieg continues the list of Warriors’ finishers in 45th (19:48.24), Thomas Varga 65th

(20:40.78), Joseph Flieg 71st (20:49.67) and Dominic Griffard 91st (22:08.26) in a field of 113 runners.

Mason Gegg turned in the Dragons’ best performance in the varsity boys’ race. Gegg was 18th (18:35.42). 

Nathan St. Clair, despite slipping during the race, still earned 20th with a time of 18:40.72. Levi Wiegand was 25th (18:49.94). 

“The course was very wet, and there were some slick patches,” Ste. Genevieve cross country coach Sierra Boyd said. “Their shoes were soaking causing them to be heavier than normal.”

Traction was poor, and runners’ shoes sunk into the ground like eating the first bite of a sandwich. 

In between the varsity boys’ and varsity girls’ race, there was a downpour — which worsened the field considerably. 

Still, Valle Catholic’s Madelyn Griffard placed 15th in 21:36.76, the Warriors’ best placement of the day. 

(Editor’s Note: For the complete story and statistics, subscribe to either the print or electronic editions of the Ste. Genevieve Herald. Subscribe: 1-573-883-2222.)