Perseverance Personified - Morningside battles through windy GPACs
YANKTON, S.D. – A theme equal to the U.S. Postal Service motto would have been appropriate for competitors at the 2020 Great Plains Athletic Conference Championships Saturday, Nov. 7.
While there was no rain or snow encountered at Fox Ridge Golf Course, there was a bit of heat for early November and plenty of wind. Despite those obstacles, head coach Dave Nash's Mustangs made their appointed rounds as swiftly as possible.
"The wind was especially tough on everybody," Mside's head coach pointed out post-race. "I've got to give credit to the entire field for battling through. It was a grind out day.
It's incredibly gratifying to see our women's team headed to nationals," he added. "We beat a strong Concordia team to place second (91 points). Our men put in a great morning, too. With only seven guys competing, the group bonded together, taking fifth (145 points) and beating Concordia. We will hang our hats on that fact and be proud of it."
Senior standout Connor Ritz (SR/Sioux City, Iowa) once again led the Mustangs men's team. The Sioux City, Iowa, native punched his third successive ticket to the 2020-21 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championships, placing fourth (26:34.48). The three-time all-conference honoree continues to use history to guide his success.
"Early in the season, I was going out a little too quickly in the beginning," he reminisced. "I've taught myself to make sure I go out when I need to --- trying to find the right time."
"Connor was an absolute maestro of pace," Nash admitted. "He was around 22nd early on and started to make his move from there to the first five. He dismantled several runners who had beaten him earlier this year. It's great to see him get another shot at nationals."
"Overall, we went into practices this week wanting to beat one team," Ritz remarked. "We might have had many guys competing, but we kept attacking throughout. We hit our goal in beating Concordia."
Morningside's women saw the tandem of junior Kristine Honomichl (JR/Westminster, Colo.) (Westminster, Colo.) and senior Emalee Fundermann (SR/Anthon, Iowa) (Anthon, Iowa) pick up all-league awards with top 10 finishes. Honomichl earned her first all-GPAC accolade, crossing third in 18:56.06, and Fundermann became a two-time all-conference honoree, placing sixth (19:17.9).
"This was an exciting race," Fundermann pointed out. "I felt more drained than I have in a while – the wind had a lot to do with it. In the end, I had a kick and worked.
It's just way more exciting going to nationals as a team," she added. "It makes everything a lot better. Now, we get a chance to have more practices together. It'll allow all of us to grow some more."
"I had to change my tactics a little," Honomichl said. "I hadn't run in wind like this --- I had to start slower and be behind. I just got near runners and tried to draft off them around the course."
The 2020-21 national meet is scheduled for Saturday, Apr. 9, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Nash's athletes now switch gears for preparation towards the 2020-21 indoor track and field season, which begins Saturday, Nov. 21, at Dakota Wesleyan University.