On Saturday, beneath a glowing sun, the Fairbanks Panthers XC teams competed in the 2022 Central District Championships and three runners would punch their tickets to next week’s Regional meet at Pickerington North. According to head coach Mike Van Winkle, “Although our girls’ team gave it their best shot, we came up just a little short as far as qualifying a team for the Regional meet, but the fact is we’re still alive, and three of our runners are going to be able to have one more race this season.”
Things got off to a quick start at Hilliard Darby High School when the boys’ race began at 10:30 AM. The runners took the line from box 7 and POW! The gun sounded and the Panthers were off. They bolted down the opening stretch and Zeke Gingerich rose to the front of the pack, as he is wont to do. After a few turns and loops, ducking in and out of the woods and fields, three miles later the runners appeared for one last hairpin turn before crossing the finish line. Gingerich cross that line in 14th place in a time of 17:27, good enough to qualify him for the Regional meet for the second straight year. “I felt good out there today. I knew where I was and ran really relaxed,” said Gingerich. “At about the mile marker I started thinking about my hero, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and I thought, what would he do in this situation, and so, I took off, and went a little harder, ensuring myself a place in the top 16.” Also finishing for the Panthers were Caleb Wenger (33rd/18:40), JJ Miehls (39th/19:08), Cameron Nisly (42nd/19:22), Bryce Nisly (46th/19:30), Nicholas Powell (54th/20:15), and Nathan Parks (63rd/20:36).
The dust settled after the boys’ race and the girls were warmed up and prepared to go. They stood in box 14, waited for the signal, and POW! They were off. Rachael Hoover wasted no time in rushing to the head of the pack, as a group of three runners began to separate themselves from the field. Freshman phenom Mara Vacari was not too far behind, running steadily and showing no fear at her first high school postseason meet. The clock ticked on, and the fans waited in bated breath for the lead Gator to reappear, leading the runners to the final straightaway. And there she was! Rachael Hoover, trucking down the homestretch, and finish third in a time of 19:28, cinching up her trip to next week’s Regional meet. But wait! There was another Panther runner not too far behind. It was Mara Vacari, who stunned the crowd by finishing 6th overall in a time of 20:29! According to Vacari, “I didn’t really know what to expect out there, so I just blocked everything out and focused on my run. I became one with nature, and even spent some time during the second mile of the race admiring the rich and colorful foliage that Hilliard has to offer this time of year.” Rounding out the Panther finishers were freshman Elizabeth Phillipo (40th/23:30), freshman Hannah Neihaus (45th/24:57), freshman Meredith Reinhard (46th/25:00), and freshman Riley Jones (69th/33:25).
Coach Van Winkle was impressed with his runners. “You know, we have Rachael, of course, but every other runner out there for us today was a freshman, and that says a lot about the future of our program. They get to see a talent like Hoover run week in and week out, and they see her work ethic, and they start to pick up on understanding exactly what it takes to run at a really high level. My prediction is that before too long, you’re going to see some Panthers bring a team down to the state meet. We’re building something here and the future looks bright.”
Next week’s Regional meet is at Pickerington North high school. Meet information and start times will be Substacked out later this week in a meet preview article, so check back soon!
