IPSWICH – One runner accomplished something for the sixth straight year, while another runner experience something he has never done before Wednesday afternoon.
Northwestern’s Ella Boekelheide won her sixth consecutive Lake Region Conference cross country championship, and Frederick’s Titus Kippley won his first conference title during the meet in Ipswich.
Boekelheide clocked a time more than 45 seconds faster than the field after being chased by a pack of tigers. A group of five Ipswich runners was on her heels for the early portion of the race.
“It’s great that they have so many girls that are so amazing and so young,” Boekelheide said. “Just that type of competition just makes everybody better, whether in front of them, behind them, in the pack, that’s just great to see.”
Boekelheide glanced at her watch periodically throughout the race as she steadily pulled away from the field.
“The wind is definitely a factor. It’s kind of hard to gauge with everything, but I think it’s a fun course,” Boekelheide said of the unconventional course that starts on a running track, goes around a baseball park, around the surrounding grounds and finishes back on the track. “I try not to look at my watch a lot, but sometimes when you’re of out there in the middle of nowhere you kind of have to try to gauge off of something.”
While Boekelheide has numerous region and state championships on her resume, winning another conference crown is important, just like any other race she competes in.
“It’s definitely a stepping stone,” Boekelheide said. “It’s just another race to build upon and I think of every race as very important; every race matters.”
Ipswich seventh grader Isabella Galbraith finished runner-up and found out what nearly every other runner in the state has experienced through the years: staying with Boekelheide is no easy task.
“She is a great runner,” Galbraith said. “It’s very hard.”
Galbraith is having a breakout season in her first year on the varsity.
“I was really scared at first,” Galbraith said, “but now I’m kind of just used to it.”
Galbraith ended up pulling away from her teammates, who finished in order behind her, Jayla Stiles in third, Madisyn Gellhaus in fourth, Kaylnn Oban in fifth, and Jennay Gisi in sixth.
“We always try and pack run and then just try and finish hard,” Galbraith said. “We try and stay together for like the first 14-16 minutes, and then you can let go or go off, if you feel good or you’re not having your best day. … Everybody had a great run.”
Kippley edged last year’s champion Korbin Stark of Faulkton in the boys’ race. After trailing for the majority of the event, Kippley surged past Stark and then sprinted his way to the finish to win by nine seconds.
“We were neck-and-neck most of the race,” Kippley said. “I was a little behind him, trying to block the wind, get a little boost in the end, and I got to about the half mile left, and I was like, you know what, I’m not even that tired, let’s go! And then I took off and I only lasted about 100 meters and I was tired. And I was like, oh, just finish now, just finish.”
As soon as the junior crossed the finish line he fell to the track, totally spent.
“I was dead. I crossed that finish line and it was the worst thing I ever felt,” Kippley said. “It was awful.”
What is worth it?
“Oh, it was definitely worth it,” Kippley said.
Kippley said he used divine intervention on the way to the win.
“A lot of it was with God’s help,” Kippley said. “I couldn’t have done it by myself.”
Last year Stark dueled with Frederick’s Milo Sumption, who is not running due to injury this season. Now, Kippley has stepped to provide a challenge.
“It’s always nice having someone to push with. Titus and I have been going back and forth all year,” Stark said. “He’s really improved over the last couple of seasons. He’s really finding his groove now and I’m just trying to get back into mine.”
Stark, who competes in both football and cross country in the fall, is trying to get back into prime shape with region and state meets coming up in the next two weeks.
“I’ve been facing knee issues all throughout the season, but I think now things are starting to get a little bit better,” Stark said. “I’ve gone a couple of weeks without feeling major pain. I’m just getting back into my groove here and on the football field as well.”
The junior knew that Kippley was right behind during the race, but once Kippley made his move, he was unable to go with him.
“I felt him right on my heels all race, and he was running very smart,” Stark said. “I just needed to find another gear, but I didn’t find it in enough time.”
The Ipswich girls and the Frederick boys won team championships.
Aberdeen Christian’s Joseph Richards finished ninth in the boys’ race and he continues his solid fall of running.
“I’ve been running a lot, and what’s helped me to run over the summer was I was training two other middle school runners,” Richards said. “I wouldn’t have the motivation to run by myself, because it’s just harder.”
The sophomore, who just missed qualifying for state a year ago, will now gear up for next week’s region. He said he liked the atmosphere of the conference meet, which included constant music throughout the event.
“The music motivates me a lot, because I like running with music when I run for practice,” Richards said. “I like the scenery.”
Christian’s Clara Herreid also enjoyed the unique conference course.
“I do actually like the course,” Herreid said. “I like that there’s not too many hills, because I don’t really get along with hills too well. It’s a fast meet, I feel like.”
The freshman would like to qualify for the state meet at next week’s region, and knows the task that lies ahead of her.
“I’m a little nervous for next week. I had to wait a whole year with that wait of not making it to state last year … and had to carry that until this year,” Herreid said. “So this year I’m like it’s kind of a lot of pressure on me, but we’ll see how it goes.”
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