Elizabeth Mosbach Named BCR Runner of the Year.
by Chris Yucus-BCR
November 30, 2008
Family footsteps
Mosbach follows brothers at Hall
By Chris Yucus
cyucus@bcrnews.com
Saturday, November 29, 2008 12:56 AM CST
SPRING VALLEY — For Elizabeth Mosbach, running is a family
affair.
The Hall freshman credits her brothers, current Red Devil T.J. Mosbach and former Hall and St. Ambrose runner Alex Flores, with not only inspiring her to take up the sport of cross country, but helping her develop as well.
“When I was younger, I always saw my brothers run, so when I got older, I just wanted to run. They really encourage me and tell me what I’m doing wrong, too, so it’s really helpful,” Mosbach said.
Coming into her freshman year, Mosbach worked out this summer under the supervision of Flores.
“Over the summer, my brother, Alex, made up my whole schedule of how to run. He just really taught me how to run,” she said.
Hall coach Tom Keegan said that having a collegiate runner like Flores in the family is a valuable asset.
“The thing about him is that he went on to run at the next level. That information he’s gained from his experiences, he’s starting to pass it on to his brother T.J. and Elizabeth too,” he said.
“It means more, sometimes, coming from someone other than a coach, you’ve got to listen to that kid because he’s paid the price and done what he needed to do.”
Mosbach said that her strong freshman campaign, which saw her place second at the Seneca Regional with a time of 20:31, was a surprise to her.
“I really didn’t think I’d do that good this year,” Mosbach said.
“In the back of my mind there was kind a kind of question as to how well she would adapt to a three-mile race, but she kind of put down and erased any of those apprehensions early in the year,” Keegan said.
In addition to her strong showing at regionals, Mosbach was named to the NCIC Lincoln all-conference cross country team, a big honor for a freshman. She placed sixth with a time of 21:21.
She placed 24th at the Aurora Sectional with a time of 18:55.5, nine spots and 19 seconds off the pace needed to advance to state.
With three more years to hone her skills, Mosbach is excited for what the future will bring. She is setting her goals high.
“Next year I definitely want to make it to state,” she said.
Mosbach’s success as a freshman has helped shift her perception of running. Admittedly, she didn’t like running that much at the beginning of the season.
However, with her accomplishments on the course, Mosbach has changed her tune.
“Now, I love to run, I like everything about it,” she said.
She is just the second Hall girl to be named Runner of the Year. Ashley Denis earned the honors in 2004.
