"19th Place"

     One cold and wet Monday after school at 3:15 pm, I was waiting in Mrs. Leeman's room.  It was packed with kids all anxiously waiting for the race to start.  I was sitting next to Ashley, Grace and Jenna.  Soon my dad came up behind me, and told me to give him my backpack because it was too crowded in Mrs. Leeman's room.  I gave him my backpack and he left to put it in the car.

     Soon, Mrs. Leeman led every one of us kids outside to the starting line.  I was standing next to Ashley, Grace and Jenna.  I was very nervous!  I was looking at my feet.  Then I saw something squiggly, thin, and brown.  It was a worm!  I told Ashley, Grace and Jenna, "Look here! I found a worm!"  I then picked it up.

     Ashley said to me, "Please let me hold the worm!  Please!"

     I said to her, "Ok.  Just please do not lose it, Ashley."

     Ashley said, "Ok."

     So I put the worm in Ashley's cupped hands.  As soon as I set it in them, she dropped it on the ground!  I yelled at her, "Why did you drop it?!"

     Ashley said, "I don't know?"  There was around 4 minutes before the race, so I gave the worm to my little sister Jill.  She ran and found a safe spot and set the worm there.  Soon I heard the countdown to the start of the race.

     "5, 4, 3, 2, 1," then the loud bang of the gun which meant that the race had started!  I jogged first, but some people sprinted.  Most of the people who sprinted I passed because they used up all of their energy right away.  I felt so pressured at that moment, and near the end, I was running as fast as I could!  I felt as if my legs were going to pop off!  I was right on the tail of George Buerman.  I was thinking I was maybe in the 40th place, but surprisingly I was in 19th place!  I was very tired.  I won a medal because I finished in the 19th place.  20th and under got medals!

The End

Written by Lily Guenther

This entry won first place in the category of nonfiction, grade 1-4, in the George Putz Memorial Shawano/Menominee Counties Student Writing Contest, Spring, 2015.

Lily was writing about her first race in the fall of 2014, after just running with the club for few weeks, in the Shawano Invitational.  There were 63 kids from our running club who participated, and over 100 kids in 6th grade and under division.  All of our runners finished the 1.75 mile race.  For many kids, this was their very first organized distance race.  Kudos!

Where we've raced!

4/11, Run 4 Home at the Timber Rattler Stadium.  Jackson Boucher, Alli Johnson, Lily and Jill Guenther, ran in the 1/2 mile kids race there.  Alec Montour and Claire Guenther ran in the mile race.

1/2 mile was 2 laps around the field.  They kicked up a lot of dirt behind their backs!

4/11, Water Warrior in Shawano.  Ashley Hanssen, ran in the 5k in Shawano.

4/30, Glow Run at Olga Brener Intermediate School.  MANY kids showed up for this 1 mile fun run!  And more!  A collaboration with Thedacare Good to Go week.  We learned about how much sugar is in a variety of popular drinks!  It's always best to drink water or white milk! 

5/2, Pigeon River Classic in Clintonville.  1 mile kids run at Olen Park, to support the high school cross country team.  Claire Guenther took first with 6:24.  Her friend Sara Carlson ran 6:41, after winning her age group in the 5k race, with time of 23:51, and just swallowed a cookie! Jackson Boucher took first for boys with 7:12!  Lily Guenther came in at 7:30.  Alex Montour ran strong with 8:22.  Jill also finished cutting a minute off her time at Navarino race, with 9:49, which is better than what I could ever do at her age. The kids did awesome.  I just wish I remembered to have the kids wear their club shirt!  We dominated!

A small turn out this year for the kids run.  Sara is just finishing her cookie on the side line yet, debating whether to jump in the race.

The mile run is Claire's best event in track.

Jackson is in the lead for boys.

Lily coming around the corner.

Alex is working hard to cut down his time!

Joe running with Jill to keep her motivated.

Medals were made by Clintonville H.S. art class.  Top finishers received a beautiful bowl.

7/4, Leopolis Triatholon, 84 degrees and humid at midday race time!

Congratulations to Ben and Sarah Carroll, who took 1st and 6th place in the youth division.  Claire Guenther came in 4th.  Joe Guenther took 2nd for Beer Belly division.  There were over 160 participants, some from as far as Milwaukee and Chicago!