Unbreakable: The Force Behind the Cross Country Team’s Win at St. Olaf Haunted Hustle
By Paige Weber
A few weeks ago, the Wildcat runners showcased their strongest win of the season: 3rd place at the Haunted Hustle. The route spanned 6,000 meters (about 3.7 miles) and served as a backdrop for some of the team’s fastest individual times so far. To understand how this growth occurred, I spoke to the team and discovered how the theme of “Unbreakable” unifies them.
The Haunted Hustle took place at the St. Olaf campus, bringing together several private colleges in Minnesota, such as St. Cloud State and Martin Luther. Out of all 7 participating teams, St. Kate’s scored 3rd. This is thanks to runners Kaitlyn Peterson, Lauren Kennedy, Mist Sit and freshmen Lydia Heldhahn, Eleanor Lindeman, and Alecia Weber. Three of them earned spots in the top-25. Lindeman was the first to complete the 6k, coming in 10th place at 24: 56. 6. Then followed by Mist Sit in 17th place at 25: 31. 2 and Lydia Heldhahn in 25th place at 26: 17. 4.
Many of these individual times are faster than the previous 6k races from this season. When asked about what could have accounted for this, first-year Alecia Weber explained, “As a team, we have strengthened ourselves by pushing ourselves in workouts, lifts, and runs while paying close attention to how our bodies feel to ensure peak performance is achieved on competition day.”
This effort paid off at the Haunted Hustle. When I asked the runners if anyone felt nervous beforehand, Weber simply stated that she felt ready to give it her all. “This was my first 6k after I recovered from heat exhaustion at the Roy Griak meet. The Kent Finanger invitational, a 4k, felt good, but too short to battle myself on my capabilities. So this opened the doors to complete confidence again if I could obtain what I had lost.” Those doors are wide open now, because Weber ended up setting a new personal record of 27:63.7 that day.
“Unbreakable” is not only an unofficial slogan for the team. It’s also central to their success. David Pieper, head coach, emphasized that “Unbreakable has been an emerging theme for our squad. They have had to face a number of hardships that can break any team. However, they have continued to get back up and keep fighting despite the challenges they face.”
If I told you to make a mental list of physically demanding sports, I should hope to see cross country there. The sport is all about running long distances, often at least a few miles, while focusing on speed and keeping a consistent pace. In other words: pushing yourself for as long as possible. So in the final stretch, the feeling of support and your attitude can be a make-or-break. Fortunately, for this team, being unbreakable isn’t only what they chant before practice. It’s a mindset they hold with them day in and day out. Felicity Lamb says that an unbreakable team is one that “...never gives up, a team that uses the adversities they face to grow, and a team that builds each other up and never leaves anyone behind.”
Looking Ahead:
– By the time this article comes out, the team will have already competed in the MIAC Cross Country Championships. You can check the results by visiting stkatesathletics.com. The next race to keep an eye on will be the NCAA Regional Championship taking place on November 15th.
– Coach Pieper encourages anyone interested in cross country to email him at djpieper886@stkate.edu
