When we talked to Coach Wietecha at the Updog Opener way back in August, his team had high expectations for this season. The Beech High School girls had finished 4th at state the season before and while the boys did not match that same success, both teams remained in tact with an abundance of focus, motivation, and confidence heading into 2023. In November, they delivered. Both teams ran above projections to claim team runner-up finishes in Division I Class AAA at the State Championship. It was the highest finish for both programs in their school's history.
From this success, both programs were selected for the Gold Division at Garmin RunningLane on Saturday in Huntsville, Alabama. While their racing before this has seen them run in New York, Alabama, and North Carolina this season, they have yet to be on a notoriously fast course. Racing at John Hunt Park serves as on final opportunity for each runner to lay down a fast 5k before the season officially ends. We joined them on Wednesday afternoon for their final workout as the sun set in Hendersonville.