Chargers overcoming struggles
Andrew Dodson
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Sports
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Charger women hit the starting line first for their 6-kilometer race. Team captain Jennifer Gunderson, a senior, said the team faced problems with pre-race nerves throughout the year. She hoped to remedy that problem this past weekend.
"We tried to make it fun with some sweet tattoos and blue and white nails," Gunderson said. "I think it worked. There were a lot of great races and some amazing personal records."
Gunderson recorded 24:07 as her best time for the season and ran into the Chargers' No. 2 spot. Freshman Erin Brunko led Hillsdale with a time of 23:20. She placed 12th in the conference, earning a second-team all conference award. The women's team finished seventh out of 13 conference teams.
The women's team dealt with injuries and illnesses throughout this year. From hip ailments to torn ACL's, the Chargers were forced to run through pain and struggle. Some of these ailments forced runners to exit the race early, in hope of being healthy enough to race the Regional race in two weeks.
Sophomore Marion Gabl suffered a knee injury early this year at the Michigan State Invitational. Three weeks later, Gabl discovered her ACL had torn - potentially ending her season. However, wearing a metal knee brace, Gabl was cleared to run at the championship event and finished seventh for the Chargers.
"I was so happy Marion was able to run here," Gunderson said. "She raced really well especially with all of the sharp turns and hills. That's not easy with a brace on."
The top nine runners for the Charger women have two weeks to train for the Great Lakes Regional final held in Illinois. Gunderson said her team could surprise the competition in two weeks.
"If everyone can stay healthy, meaning more sleep, I think that we might surprise some people," she said. "Coach Sarah has trained us well this season and I'm excited to see the final result of all of our hard work."
Following the women's championship race, the men hit the line for the 8-km race.
It was a banner day for senior and captain Tim Sayers, as he recorded his highest finish in a GLIAC Championship race of his four-year tenure as a Charger. Sayers time of 26:09 placed him 12th and earned him second-team all-conference honors.
Freshman Chuck Wysong ran to the fourth spot for the Chargers with a time of 27:08, marking his first time in the top seven for the Chargers.
"I knew I had to run well in this race," said Wysong. "The biggest difference at conference was that God let me breath well which I have been struggling with this season. It gave me a lot more endurance than usual."
Head coach Bill Lundberg said he was impressed with Wysong's performance and feels he could be a factor in two weeks at the regional finals.
Sophomores Michael Mayday and Timothy Howse came through as a solid 2-3 punch for the Chargers but the team lacked key elements in order to be in the top three.
"We needed some of our top varsity runners to be in the top thirty in order to be a top three team," Lundberg said. "It was a close battle between us and Wayne State for fourth place. They beat us 81 to 85."
Sophomore Britton Deuel, a consistent runner for the Chargers all season, dropped out of the race around the four-mile mark due to illness.
The Chargers will take their fifth place finish and use it as motivation going into the pivotal regional race in two weeks. The top four teams will qualify for the Division II National Championship at Missouri Southern State University. Teams must perform to the peak of their abilities to qualify.
"Time to peak," said Wysong. "Most of the hard runs and grueling mileage is over, now it is time to sharpen our muscles and get ready for the big race. God has given us a great opportunity and we need to try our best to take advantage of it."
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