Nambara finishes in Top 50 at state meet

Republic’s Miha Nambara finished 50th in a field of 170 runners at the Class 4 state cross country meet in Columbia. Nambara’s finish was the highest in at least a decade for a member of the girls cross country team at Republic.
“At the beginning, I was kind of nervous, but it was a good experience. It was exciting,” Nambara said. “That’s the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen. There’s usually not that many people that come out.”
Nambara finished the course in 19:38, just four seconds off her personal best, which she had set at sectionals a week earlier. She hopes her strong finish as a sophomore will lead to more success during her junior year.
“I hope my success carries on next season and I keep improving,” she said.
Nambara is the first girl cross country runner from Republic to qualify for the state meet since Kayla Bartelsmeyer and Megan Hergesheimer both made it in 2012. Her 50th-place finish is the highest Class 4 finish ever for a Republic girls cross country runner.