Trinity Meet

Running With the Mustangs: Trinity Times

By David St. Louis

September 19, 2009 marked the Trinity/Valykerie Invitational at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park. The stage was set with mild weather and a loaded field. North Oldham senior co-captain, Justin Roenigk, is along to help recap his efforts. 

In a ritual that has been considered a head-scratcher to most of the running community, Justin Roenigk and the North Oldham cross country team consider the McDonald’s McSkillet and hot chocolate a sacrament of sorts: for Justin’s pre-race meal, that is. A late arrival to Lexington his freshman year left a McDonald’s as the only viable option for pre-race sustenance. A successful race ensued and the rest is history as Justin has routinely become a big-time racer for the NOHS squad, most notably placing 11^th in 16:55 in the 2008 AA State Cross Country Meet, helping to secure North Oldham’s first ever team title.  

Would a big-time race develop on this day? Two days prior, Justin wasn’t sure, as he tried to kick a sudden hip irregularity that week. Veteran focus, a senior drive, and the aforementioned McSkillet would not allow for a scratch and the early morning shake-out at NOHS calmed some nerves and escalated confidence. Justin recounts an uncharacteristically somber mood amongst the top seven on their warm-up. Coming off a disappointing Tiger Run and a “building block” of a Rumble Through the Jungle, he believed the Mustangs were ready to get after it on a promising morning at a home away from home, “Sawyer”.  

From the gun to the mile marker, Justin immediately negotiated a field of 300 runners in a blistering opening pace. When asked of the focus at this point, he simply mentioned, “gold jerseys and jersey’s I didn’t recognize”, alluding to St. X (the current leaders of KY) and the integrity of the out-of-state teams in attendance, including Carmel (IN), North Harrison (IN), Oak Ridge (TN), Anderson (OH) and Tupelo (MS). Justin stated, “If I could run with [these jerseys], I knew I would be in good company and I could set a PR”. Today, Justin would be running without one third of North’s front trio, Taylor Sanders, as he chose to sit out the race due to illness. He and Colin Grandon would have their work set out for them up front, by themselves.  

The theme of the race in Justin’s mind was repetition, notably thinking nothing but, “16:30, 16:30, 16:30…”. While cognizant of the coaching staff on the sidelines, Justin can and would rely on his veteran abilities to assess a race and adjust accordingly. A 25-second PR, sure, yet nothing would really prove to be out of the realm for the Mustangs on this day. “I wanted to use Sawyer’s course to my advantage and begin my kick about 600 meters out with the turn of the road. I felt good going into the pine trees (by the BMX track),” he testifies, “but I began to realize 16:45 may be more realistic”.  

A ferocious downhill kick brought relief to eyes that hadn’t seen a PR in ten months, as 16:44 flashed in front of Justin. It was immediate relief from early season races that weren’t real confidence boosters. While Colin Grandon ran away with a team-leading 16:08 PR on this day, it was a sign for Justin that the Mustangs were arriving to really compete, now.  

Certainly not to be disregarded were the rest of the Mustang roster who blistered Sawyer’s quick turns and state competition. All but four North Oldham runners would set personal bests on this day, as they wrote a very promising chapter to the 2009 season. Justin and the rest of the upperclassmen have come to expect racing results to match up with training as the season develops. We’ll see how the Mustangs show in Ohio for two weekends in a row… 

Colin Grandon  16:08 (:41 PR)

Justin Roenigk  16:44 (:11 PR)

Seth Fowler  17:09 (:46 PR)

Nathan Yates   17:12 (:18 PR)

Andrew Beno  17:23 (:33 PR)

Eric Taglieri  17:25 (:46 PR)

Jeremy Rice  17:28 (:13 PR)

Ryan Kalmey  18:06

Zack Mitchell  18:19 (:18 PR)

Matt Dombrosky 18:20 (:13 PR)

Troas McWilliams 18:24 (equaled PR)

Jack Murphy  18:32 (:47 PR)

Alec Horn  18:48

Brayden May  18:56 (:16 PR)

Jordan Yates  19:16 (:34 PR)

Steve Terkula  19:21 (:36 PR)

Andy Powers  21:15

Boone Lewis  29:52