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The Uni High subbie cross country team at the State meet on October 14. (Photos courtesy of Sarah Laufenberg)

For the second time in Uni history, the subbie boys and girls cross country teams both qualified for the IESA Class 1A State meet on Oct 14. The two teams gave outstanding performances at the race, with every finishing runner achieving a PR (personal record) for the season. According to Cross Country Coach Doug Mynatt, the boys runners beat their PR’s by an average of 39 seconds, and the girls averaged an improvement of about 37 seconds. Henry Laufenberg also medaled at State for the boys, finishing in 17th place with a time of 11:15.3.  

The girls placed 19th overall at State, while the boys finished in 8th place, the third consecutive top 10 State finish for the subbie boys cross country teams. Coach Mynatt was very proud of this year’s State performance, saying that “it’s hard not to come away happy from a meet like that.”

The subbie cross country teams also saw remarkable success at the IESA St. Thomas More Sectional on Oct 7, with three boys and three girls finishing in the top 10.

The boys were led by Brooks Hu and Laufenberg, taking the first two places, almost neck to neck. Ian Evensen also finished in the top 10, and the subbie boys went on to win their Sectional. Leading the girls was Yeowoon Jung, finishing in 6th, followed by Erin Smith in 7th, and Maxine van der Donk in 8th. The subbie girls placed 2nd in their race.

Runners from both subbie cross country teams have had positive attitudes about the season; they were especially happy with the team spirit. Jung said that she “really liked how we bonded as a team,” and Hu agreed, mentioning that the team “was very supportive and active outside of cross country.” Coach Mynatt was impressed as well, noting that there “was an exceptionally strong team dynamic this year.”

This year’s subbie teams also show potential for high school cross country, with standout individuals from both the boys and girls. The only issue is the question of whether the runners will return to cross country for high school; Coach Mynatt said that several boys runners may switch to high school soccer next year. Regardless, he was very happy with this year’s performances, hoping that it’s “a sign of good things to come in the future.”