BY CHAD DARE Commercial-News
DANVILLE — Being a first-time varsity cross country runner proved to be a good thing on Tuesday.
Danville freshman Johnny Leverenz and Schlarman sophomore Jesse Hahne both recorded top-10 finishes in the Kickapoo Kickoff Klassic.
Leverenz, who did run cross country in middle school, was fourth with a time of 16 minutes, 59 seconds.
“I think I did pretty decent,’’ he said. “I ran a smart race.
“I was just hoping for a top-10 finish and I was in the top-five.’’
Hahne, who had been a football player until this fall, was seventh, completing the 3-mile course in 17:08.
“I pushed myself further than I thought I could and I did better than I thought I could,’’ he said. “This is the best that I’ve done.
“I was hoping for a top-10 finish and I got it.’’
Hahne, a state qualifier in the 3,200-meter run last spring, said his success on the track led him to switch from football to cross country.
“It was a very difficult decision,’’ he said. “I started running in junior high to help with my football and I found out that I was a pretty good runner.’’
Not only did Leverenz finish fourth, but he was also the top finisher for the Vikings, beating seniors Jovon Shaw (fifth) and Matt Cleveland (10th).
“I was expecting it to be fast, but once it started, I felt tired and got too nervous,’’ said Shaw, whose time was 17:03. “John ran well. He ran with a lot of confidence and that is good have.’’
But can a senior accept a freshman beating him?
“It’s going to push me a lot harder,’’ Shaw admitted. “I thought I was the No. 1 guy.’’
Danville finished second in the team standings behind the Unity Rockets (53-57).
“We didn’t back off for this meet. This was just the first meet of the year,’’ Danville coach Todd Orvis said. “I was pretty happy with the way the team ran, and I’m sure the two senior guys are disappointed, but we still have a full season.
“The end of the year is the important time to run well.’’
That is the same philosophy that Oakwood/Armstrong-Potomac’s Ciara Pierce is running with this season.
Pierce was second in the girls’ race with a time of 20:43, finishing behind Chelsea Blaase of St. Joseph-Ogden.
“I was really pretty happy with my race,’’ she said. “Last year, I came out running hard and peaked too early.
“This year, I’m concentrating on the end of the season. So, for this being the first race of the year, it felt good.’’
Danville’s Amy Carter ws fifth with a time of 21:24, while teammate Kara Anderson was 18th.
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