The Fremont High School girls cross country team returns a solid team this season, however, so does the rest of the state.
Only four out of the top 34 runners last year at the Class A state meet graduated leaving a field full of state-tested runners.
“That’s just overwhelming,” FHS head coach Diane Hento said. “That just shows you that there is a tremendous amount of young talent in the state and you have to be on at every meet -- be focused and ready to go.”
Additionally 14 of the top 15 runners in the state return, including the Tigers’ top two runners in senior Holly Buss and junior Kayla Fenske.
“They are both very mentally tough and mentally strong,” said Hento. “They’re the leaders of our team right now as far as being up in front.”
Bussa placed fifth at last year’s state meet.
“Holly is confident; she knows when she lines up she’s going to give a good effort and it’s going to take a good effort to challenge her and stay with her,” Hento said.
Fenske finished just out of the top 10 at state last year placing 12th.
“Kayla is strong-bodied, strong legged,” Hento said. “She’s done a lot with her form over the last year.”
Fenske said she has set some lofty goals this season.
“Obviously I want to qualify for state again,” she said. “I want to do the same or maybe outdo myself on what I did last year.”
Fenske added that she wants to reach the 15:20s, about a 10-second improvement over her best in 2007.
While Bussa and Fenske have the ability to finish among the state’s elite it is the rest of the team that excites Hento.
“We feel this year that not only do we have our top two returning that we feel good about, but we have three through seven and maybe as far as 10 that are quality runners for us right now,” she said. “Seemingly we are so much stronger than we were at this point last year.”
Hento stressed the importance of runners 3-7. She said the successful season in which they won a state title in 2002 was due to those runners in the middle of the pack.
“We all understand that if we’re going to do anything this season we’re going to have to do it as a top seven,” she said. “Everyday it’s somebody different pushing the pace and that pack can run together and may even finish upper middle or better.”
Last season the team qualified for state for the 22nd time out of the last 25 years. They also won their ninth district title and were conference runner-up.
Bussa said the team understands what it takes to reach that level and in turn the competition is that much more intense this fall.
“As a team I think we have some really good prospects and I’m really excited about the year,” Bussa said. “Every single person wants to do absolutely as best as they can every single day; they know the varsity spots are all up in the air because everyone is doing so well this year.”
Also returning from last year’s state qualifying team are seniors Erica Dickmeyer and Morgan Lindgren; and sophomores Lisa Poppe and Hannah Schroeder. Seniors Caitlin Schultz and Ashley Vance are back after earning a letter last fall.
FHS opens the season Saturday at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite in Lincoln.
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