(Mos)bach-to-back
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| Hall High School's Liz Mosbach was named the 2009 BCR Cross Country Runner of the Year |
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SPRING VALLEY— When she first started running cross country last year as a freshman, Hall’s Elizabeth Mosbach said she was not all that enthused.
Soon though, Mosbach discovered she had a knack for the sport and went on to finish a fabulous freshman campaign that saw her earn last year’s BCR Runner of the Year honors.
Fast forward to this summer, when Mosbach was gearing up for her sophomore season. No longer unsure about cross country, Mosbach had grown to embrace the sport, and her workout program reflected that.
“Over the summer I added up more miles than I did last year,” Mosbach said. “Last year I just winged it. I didn’t really want to do cross country that much. This year I tried harder.
“Seeing what I did last year, I wanted to improve on it,” Mosbach said.
Mosbach was the Lady Devils’ top runner all season with a list of accomplishments that includes winning the Princeton Invitational, earning NCIC Lincoln All-Conference honors with a fourth-place finish at the Conference Meet, and making her second-straight trip to sectionals, finishing fourth at the Rock Falls Regional at 20:04.
For her achievements this season, Mosbach is the girls’ 2009 Cross Country BCR Runner of the Year, the first winner for the Lady Devils since Ashley Davis in 2003.
Mosbach said the highlight of her sophomore campaign was winning the Princeton Invite, which she did with a time of 19:49.
“That was awesome for me. I was so happy,” Mosbach said. “I didn’t expect to be first at all. There was around 100 meters left in the race, and Haley (Sack, of Mendota) had passed me already,” Mosbach said.
“I was like, ‘Uh, I want to give up.” But then I heard everyone cheering, and I went after it. Afterwords I was glad I went after it.”
While she admits she is not always the biggest fan of practicing, Mosbach said once the starting gun sounds, all the hard work is worthwhile.
“Once you get out there and you race, it’s an awesome feeling,” Mosbach said. “After I’m done racing, I feel energized, like I actually accomplished something.”
Being able to watch her older brother T.J. prepare for his senior season this year helped Mosbach gain an appreciation of working hard to reach goals.
“It was eye-opening,” Mosbach said. “I think I should have even ran more than I did this summer because T.J. worked his butt off so much this year.
“I’m so proud of him because I know that he wanted to make it to state, and that’s where he got. So I’m definitely going to carry that on into this summer and work harder than I did, keep on working harder,” she said.
Like her brother, Mosbach has her sites on reaching state next season.
“I’m going to seriously kick it in next summer,” said Mosbach. “I can’t wait for next year.”
Along with T.J., Mosbach’s older brother, Alex Flores, was also a standout runner for the Red Devils and later in college at St. Ambrose.
“It runs in the family I guess,” said Mosbach. “I guess if I didn’t do it, it would just be weird ... It would be kind of a disappointment if I didn’t do it — for myself.”
Another member of the family who will be getting more involved in cross country will be Elizabeth’s father, Mark, who is looking to step in and help run her summer workout program.
“My dad wants to take over, but he doesn’t know the first thing about running,” laughed Mosbach. “I don’t know how that’s going to work out,” she chuckled.
Mosbach said she continues to grow in her love for the sport with each season.
“I think that every year it grows even more on me,” Mosbach said. “I love it every time; each race I love cross country even more.”
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