Cross Country Athlete, Maya Freyer, Wins Class A at UNK Invitational

Marian junior Maya Freyer made a statement on the course that will host this year’s state championships, winning the Class A girls race at the UNK Cross Country Invitational on Monday, Sept. 28, at Kearney Country Club.

Freyer finished as the fastest girls runner of the day across all classes, crossing the finish line 26 seconds ahead of the Class A field. Her performance also put her 14 seconds ahead of the Class B champion.

The UNK Invitational serves as an important preview of the state championship course ahead of the Oct. 25 state meet, giving Freyer an opportunity to test herself against some of Nebraska’s top runners — including defending state champion Emily Hegge of Papillion-La Vista South.

After trailing Hegge earlier in the race, Freyer continued to push and made her move with roughly 600 meters remaining.

“At (3,000 meters) she really pulled ahead, and I was kind of struggling. But then she started coming back. I just kept pushing, and then like probably 600-ish meters to go I took the lead,” Freyer told the Omaha World-Herald.

Freyer finished last year’s UNK Invitational nearly two minutes slower and outside the top group, making Monday’s performance an exciting measure of her growth heading into the postseason.

“State’s in a couple weeks. It's good to get a win on the state course against the defending state champ,” Freyer told the Omaha World-Herald. “This meet last year, I think I was like maybe top 10, but I probably ran two minutes slower. So it's really awesome.”

With the state championship just a few weeks away, Freyer and the Marian cross country team will continue preparing for the postseason with momentum from Monday’s performance. Congratulations, Maya! 

This story was written using information and quotes originally reported by the Omaha World-Herald. We are grateful to the Omaha World-Herald for its coverage of Marian cross country. Read their story here.