FREDERICKTOWN – They were among the first to cross the finish line. But they were the last to leave the race.
The Fredericktown boys cross country team continued its tradition Thursday of lining up to greet every runner as they finished at the Denny Stevens Invitational. It’s a tradition that dates back to Fredericktown runner Nick Gaumer, who did so in 2011.
“This program is rich in tradition,” Fredericktown runner Connor Riley said. “It’s good to carry on Nick’s legacy.”
The Freddies won as a team, though they didn’t claim individual medalist honors. That went to Lucas’ Gavin Shindeldecker, who crossed the finish line at 17:08.16.
In the girls’ race, Fredericktown senior Nichole Groseclose took first place at 20:03.45. Centerburg won the girls’ team award.
But most of the emotions Thursday were focused around the finish line. Fredericktown runners finished the race, then joined their teammates in the chute to congratulate the rest of the runners.
When Gaumer placed third at the Central District race in Watkins Memorial. Gaumer refused to continue down the chute, choosing instead to stay and shake every runner’s hand as they finished. He stayed until the final runner crossed, 28 minutes later.
Gaumer was killed in an auto accident the following December. To honor him, the team began gathering at the chute after their own invitational in 2012. The Freddies have done so ever since.
“After Nick passed, it became a part of everyone on the team,” said Paden Spencer, who finished third overall (17:23.00). Riley and Thomas Caputo finished .06 and .12 seconds behind, respectively. “Everyone put their best into the race, so there’s no reason not to congratulate them.
“We’re spreading the love.”
It’s not the only way they honor the two-time state qualifier. The Freddies named their sportsmanship award after him, and head coach Bob Geiger reminds the team of Gaumer’s legacy every time it’s awarded.
“We always look at how Nick would handle a situation,” Geiger said. “Before Nick, we had good sportsmanship, but he made it excellent. So, his legacy is constantly there.
“We talk about him all the time. The kids today never ran with Nick – they were in grade school. But, because they’re heard of it, they’re proud.”
Jack Stalnaker (17:43.24) and Titus Krabill (17:45.37), also from Fredericktown, were sixth and seventh, respectively.
Shindeldecker held a slim lead at the midway point of the race, but pulled away late. Like many other runners, he had some trouble with the muddy surface in the valleys of the course.
“I slipped and almost fell there at the end,” said Shindeldecker, who earned his first win on this course in four years. “But this is pretty big. I get to finish out by senior year with a win.”
“We had an entire week of rain,” Spencer said. “No one really knew how to navigate their steps.”
Groseclose pulled away from Centerburg’s Dreanna Perry midway through the race and finished nine seconds ahead. Northridge’s Olyvia Ashbrook (20:13.72) was third.
As a senior, Groseclose was running the course for the final time.
“It’s my last race here, so it means a bit more to me,” Groseclose said. “I worked as hard as I can, and I got first place.”
East Knox’s Nathan Streby (11:17.44) won the boys’ middle school race by nearly 30 seconds. Fredericktown’s Elsa Hoam (12:42.61) won the girls race.
Complete results can be found here.
