Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of mud stayed Grace Haas from the swift completion of her appointed race, as she gladly left her running shoes behind to clinch a fifth place finish (first for the Hurricane girls) in last Wednesday’s cross country meet at Stroudsburg.

“I decided I wasn’t going to move for the mud puddles; the mud puddles were going to have to go through me, so I ran straight through every mud puddle,” Haas said. “I tried to pick up my feet more quickly so that my shoes wouldn’t get sucked off which worked until the end when I got my shoes sucked off.”

Although the weather last Wednesday was sunny and warm, prior rain showers left Stroudsburg’s course excessively muddy, described by some as swamp-like, and runners’ legs were coated as they crossed the finish line.

“I almost lost my shoe a couple times,” said first place winner Lauren Charboneau from Freedom. “I heard that it was going to be flat and a fast course, and I was planning on running an early 19:00, but then I got here and became aware that it wasn’t possible.”

Charboneau pushed the hardest on the uphills, and then worked through everything else, running alongside Stroudsburg’s Amy Conboy for most of the race. Charboneau pulled away past the two-mile mark, finishing with a time of 20:34. Conboy placed second in 20:52.

“I’m feeling confident, but I’m going to keep working hard,” Charboneau said. “Places don’t matter to me; it’s just my time.”

In third place was Stroudsburg’s Amber Kelly in 20:59, and Stroudsburg’s Ciara Conboy was fourth in 21:13.

Haas was next with a time of 21:33.

“I almost caught the third Stroudsburg girl at the end of the second loop, but then she sped up, and I couldn’t match her speed, but I ran a really fast race. I’m a senior now, and that’s my job, to finish as best I could to help my team,” said Haas. “You can’t stop and pick up your shoes. You have to go all the way.”

Liberty’s Emily Jobes placed sixth in 21:53, Stroudsburg’s Rachel Wesselius was seventh in 22:11, Stroudsburg’s Taylor Garrett finished eighth in 22:21, Liberty’s Greta Stuckey came in ninth in 22:28, and Freedom’s Camrey Yeager placed 10th in 22:39.

Bethlehem Catholic’s Solei Rodriguez placed 19th, first for the Hawks, in 24:12.

In team results, Liberty defeated East Stroudsburg South, 19-40, and East Stroudsburg North, 15-50, but lost to Stroudsburg, 35-20.

Freedom defeated East Stroudsburg South, 21-38, and East Stroudsburg North, 15-50, but lost to Stroudsburg, 33-21.

Becahi lost to East Stroudsburg South, 29-26, defeated East Stroudsburg North, 15-50, and lost to Stroudsburg, 50-15.

And Grace Haas found her shoes.