Karly Ackley set an East Region meet record in winning the 1,600 last Friday. Teammate Alexis Roehl won the 3,200. It was after 11 p.m. when the Grand Forks Central team's bus arrived back in Grand Forks after the meet.
Yet there Ackley and Roehl were at 10 a.m. Saturday, running side-by-side on South Washington Street. Roehl put in more than six miles; Ackley went on a 10-mile run.
"Saturday is usually our long practice-run day,'' Roehl, a sophomore at Central, said. "It's a pain to do it. But they pay off. It helps build up your endurance.''
The Knights' distance runners are expected to have a strong showing at the North Dakota Class A state track meet, which runs today and tomorrow in Bismarck.
Ackley has the state's fastest qualifying times in the 1,600 and 3,200 and the second-fastest in the 800. The senior won the 1,600 and 3,200 last season, setting a state meet record in the latter, as well as finishing eighth in the 800.
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"I was definitely a little tired,'' Ackley said of the Saturday run. "But we still had to get ready for state.''
Roehl is the No. 2 seed in the 1,600 and has fourth-fastest times in the 800 and 3,200, placing seventh in the 3,200 last season. In addition, junior Rachel Torrey has qualified in all three distance races, freshman Mikayla Weiss in the 1,600 and 3,200, and the four have the state's fastest time in the 4x800 relay.
"To get better, having good training partners pushing you every day makes a ton of difference,'' Central coach Eric Polries said. "They feed off of each other.
"At many schools, each of them would be the standout distance runner. They'd be school record holders.''
That distinction belongs to Ackley, the Iowa State-bound runner who also won the state cross country championship each of the past two seasons. She goes into state undefeated in the 1,600 and 3,200 this season and hasn't lost in the 800 in an outdoor meet.
"I'm a little sad knowing it's my last high school meet, my last chance to make a mark,'' she said.
"Having these girls to train with has really helped me. We push each other in practices.''
Often, they run side by side down streets and sidewalks in practices. In meets, however, it is Ackley's back that her teammates usually see.
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"I try to start with Karly and stay with her for as long as I can,'' Roehl said. "I think that's how it is with all of us.
"I'm super happy for Karly going on to college. But it will be hard for us. She's always been a good teammate and pushed us to be better.''
