Noah Thorley awoke in the barn. The earliest morning light was just starting to sneak in through the wooden slats. He was not sure where he was. This was just one of many barns that he had passed during his late-night run. He rolled over and stared at the roof. Today was the day. The Farmbanks Panthers home invitational. He began to consider all of the planning, all of the prepping that took place on Monday morning, from decorating the trailer, to flagging the course. He thought of all of the miles he had put in over the years. He rose to his feet and began inspecting his surroundings. He found an old barrel full of raw oats. He took a handful and hungrily devoured them, coughing on the dust. The words of Coach Van Winkle came to him from somewhere. “If one wants to perform like a dairy cow, one must act like a dairy cow.” Thorley reached out and grabbed another handful of oats. He stuffed his mouth full, relishing the sweet earthiness of the grains. They were starting to grow on him. He did some stretches, unlatched the door to the barn, and started off on a long run to Fairbanks High School.
Fast forward eight hours. Several schools have set up their team tents. A multitude of parents, fans, school administrators, and coaches are wandering about the grounds in front of the school. The Van Winkles are running hither and thither, making sure that everything is in place. Assistant Coach Jeff Powell is babysitting Vivienne Van Winkle, and doing his best to keep her out of trouble, with minimal success. Panther parent Chris Lahmers is walking the young dairy cow, Bisquick, around the Cow Chip Bingo board, gently urging her to release her stool. The refs are ready, and they call the first race to the line. It is the Fun Run for the youth of the area. The gun sounds, and around twenty children bolt from the line, heading off on an adventure of running. After about 1,200 meters, the children, some smiling, some in pain, start to head down the final straightaway in front of the cheering crowd. They know that when they finish, they’ll be rewarded with cold chocolate milk.
The next racers are ready. It is the Middle School girls. The gun sounds, and the athletes take off on a two mile jaunt. The sun is blazing, and the grass is dry. After about twelve minutes, the lead girls reappear at the far side of the school. Fairbanks standout Audrey Lahmers is firmly in second place, behind her rival, Madisyn Ruhe of Pleasant. The Middle School Panthers would end up in fourth place as a team. Full results below:
2nd place—Audrey Lahmers—13:09
10th place—Zariah Schirg—15:34
22nd place—Lanaya Stewart—17:08
26th place—Miriam Schirg—17:45
31st place—Alice Ford—19:16
The high school girls were the next to the line, and they would be running the full 5K course. Hopes were high for this team of veteran competitors, and, after warming up, so were the confidence levels. The gun sounded, and more than 50 runners started off, looping around the broad lawn of the school, before heading around back, to the more natural areas of the course. Before too long, the lead runners reappeared, more tired than before, but still moving at a quick pace. It was Marion Harding leading the way, with a couple of runners from North Union following, but then, it was all Panthers, all the time, crossing the finish line one after the other, and securing the girls a first place team trophy. Full results below:
5th place—Ava Lahmers—20:32
6th place—Sadie Miller—21:06
8th place—Mara Vicari—21:08
13th place—Mollie Thrush—22:44
19th place—Hannah Niehaus—23:16
20th place—Elizabeth Phillipo—23:18
24th place—Avery Thorley—24:24
25th place—Evie Riedman—24:24
26th place—Hadley Premuda—24:26
28th place—Prairie Bailey—25:43
29th place—Corrina Seabourn—26:32
37th place—Lanay Sommers—29:31
The next athletes to take the stage were the Middle School Boys, a fired up group of young athletes with something to prove. They waited for the sound of the gun, and then, they were off. After two miles, the first runner appeared. It was Mechanicsburg’s Dmitri Pack, who would go on to win the event. But the Panthers weren’t too far behind, and when the scores were tallied, the Fairbanks MS boys would take home the 1st place team trophy. Full results below:
4th place—Zach Niehaus—13:39
8th place—Malachi Robbins—14:25
14th place—George Bailey—15:50
16th place—Craig Ervin—15:54
19th place—Austin Gerty—16:12
24th place—Maximus Rhodes—17:52
26th place—Renner Bailey—19:16
27th place—Delayne Stewart—20:13
29th place—Jake Sorg—25:04
Finally, it was the high school boys’ turn. Noah Thorley, feeling the core energy produced by his breakfast of raw oats, was anxious for the gun to sound. And when it did, he and his Panther comrades jetted to the lead pack. Senior, Zeke Gingerich was in contention the whole way, but it wasn’t until the final 50 meters when he would pull ahead of his nemesis, Will Lichtenberger, and secure the overall top place. But not too far behind him, a plethora of Panther athletes would sweep across the finish line, urged on by the roar of the home crowd. And it was worth it, for the high school boys would put their stamp on the 2024 Farmbanks Invite by taking the team title. Full results below:
1st place—Zeke Gingerich—16:37
10th place—Andrew Doll—18:22
11th place—Daniel Thomas—18:22
12th place—Bryce Nisly—18:25
13th place—Wesley Goellner—18:35
15th place—Brady Adams—18:45
16th place—Noah Thorley—18:54
23rd place—Nicholas Johnson—19:50
24th place—JJ Miehls—20:26
28th place—Elton Bailey—21:50
35th place—Triton Rhodes—23:44
When asked about his team’s performance, Head Coach Mike Van Winkle was nothing but smiles. “We run for the cows. We run for the Dairy Farmers. We run for America. This was a good day, but we have more to do. There’s still a long season ahead. I was impressed, but not surprised that our high school athletes brought home the team trophies. Clearly, they have been heeding the timeless wisdom of Led Zeppelin.” At the conclusion of the awards presentation, it was time for senior night, and through tears and hugs, seniors Zeke Gingerich, Nicholas Johnson, Bryce Nisly, and Noah Thorley walked with their parents across the grass and stood in front of the trailer for pictures. “It’s bittersweet,” said Thorley, who was too choked up to deliver a speech. “I see these pictures from yesteryear hanging on our senior boards, and I’m forced to come to terms with the fact that all good things must end. This may have been our last home meet, but there are several meets to go before the post-season, and I feel like we are only now just approaching what we’re capable of.”
Next up for the Panthers is the Tiffin 5K, to be held on Saturday, September 7th. Grabbing the microphone, Head Coach Mike Van Winkle began addressing the crowd. “Tiffin is always a great race for us,” said Van Winkle. A far off glaze came over his eyes, and he continued. “There is a great atmosphere in Tiffin, and the competition is maddening. I can’t wait to see what happens. And until then, we will train. We will train and train and train. And we will listen to Led Zeppelin until its sound is as familiar to us as our own heartbeats. And we will kneel before the altar of the cow god. And we will be as supplicants, eager to please her whims.” At this point, some of the lingering parents became a bit alarmed by the tone of religious fervor that was seeping into Van Winkle’s mystical words, and Assistant Coach Jeff Powell had to intervene and forcefully pry the microphone away from Van Winkle’s shaking hands. What a fitting end, to what was truly a memorable day.