By: The Sports Guy
Proctor Journal

Proctor cross-country runners Matt Welch and Tom Rossiter toed the line for the Class A boys 5,000-meter race at the 2009 Minnesota State championship at St. Olaf College in Northfield, last Sat., Nov. 7. The two Rails CC team members qualified for state by placing in the top ten as individuals at the Section 7A championship on Thurs., Oct. 29. Welch placed 3rd at the section meet and Rossiter was 10th.

On an ‘almost too sunny’ day at state, Welch, a 9th-grader, finished 61st in 17:37.6 with Rossiter, a junior, 131st in 18:55.2. Worthington sophomore Mubarik Musa—who was assigned the starting line spot next to Rossiter—won the race in 16:01.8, 18 seconds ahead of Blake senior Paul Kouillik.

“That was hot,” said Rossiter. “Maybe the warmest race I’ve been in since summer.”

“This was Chub Lake weather,” agreed Rails head coach Lowell Harnell, referring to the annual season kick-off race in late August. “I can’t believe this is November.”

Both Proctor athletes picked up valuable experience running in their first state championship. Welch, especially, seemed to learn an important lesson about the make-up of a state championship race field.

“This is just another race,” he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

The Rails freshman is exactly correct: The State championship is just another race—a good one, with runners who are all faster and stronger than the rest of those in Minnesota, but all in all, still just another race. Prepare well for it with summer pre-season miles and hard and smart training during the season itself and a runner will do just fine come November. Both Welch and Rossiter will have a chance to earn a return to state in 2010 and try for All-State honors by getting into the top 25. And now they know what it takes.