Girls Cross Country: Princeton’s Payton Frueh, Ruby Acker overcome hip injuries

The 2023 cross country season was more like a relay race for the Princeton girls team.

Freshman Payton Frueh jumped out the gates as the early leader in three of the first four meets and then passed the baton to classmate Ruby Acker when she developed a sore hip.

Acker carried the baton in the lead for the middle of the season before she, too, developed a sore hip, and passed the baton back to Frueh, who led the Tigresses through the postseason.

Acker led Princeton in nine meets, Frueh led the Tigresses five times.

Both claimed First Team Three Rivers Conference Meet All-Conference recognition.

They were named as PHS co-MVPs.

Longtime PHS coach Pat Hodge and program historian ranks Frueh and Acker as the best freshman duo in 40 years since Brenda Wesner and Kelly Bosworth ran together in 1983 and Becky Scott and Jennifer Knoshbin in 1982, and third best overall.

For their accomplishments this season, Frueh and Acker are the 2023 co-BCR Female Runners of the Year.

Hip, hip hooray

While it was a fantastic debut for both PHS freshman, it was a hip, hip hooray kind of season in so many ways.

Frueh, who was the Tigresses’ lead runner in three out of the first four meets the two ran together, aggravated her hip at the Bureau Valley Dale Donner Invitational and sat out the Mendota meet the following Tuesday.

From that point, Acker finished first among the two for six meets in a row, including her sixth-place finish at conference. Frueh was also all-conference at 15th.

Acker then hurt her hip at the Patriot Invitational in Peoria and Frueh finished out No. 1 for both the regional (11th) and sectional (36th) meets. Acker finished 16th at the Seneca Regional and 56th at the Oregon Sectional.

Acker said her hip hurt when she tried to walk and run, ranking her pain a 7 out of 10.

“It hurt really bad for awhile,” she said. “There were some meets, I wanted to walk and I didn’t think I could finish, but I pushed myself through it. It’s really about your mindset. And if you have that good mindset and even if you’re hurting, you can push your way through it.”

Frueh, who found some relief from ice and massage, said her hip hurt pretty bad, too.

“A lot of times, there were times I didn’t think I could do it, but I pushed myself,” she said. “I wanted to walk. Eventually when I pushed through it it didn’t hurt as much any more. I just kept going, pushed through it.”

Both said it was good to have each another for support.

“Even if I feel like I want to stop, then she keeps going, so I pace myself with her,” Acker said.

“We just keep each other going through the race,” Frueh said.

Despite the hip injury, Acker was pleased with her season, making the adjustment to the longer distance in high school (3 miles) from the junior high level (2 miles).

“Since it’s a big difference going from the 2 to 3 and a big adjustment, I think I did pretty good,” she said. “You get to mile and half, and you’re only half way done. Where as (the 2 mile), you only have a little bit left. So it’s kind of a mind game at that point.”

“That’s the hardest, when you get to the mile and half, you want to stop, but you’ve got to keep going,” said Frueh, who runs track and competes in equestrian away from school.

Frueh said she thought the team went far for having “very few (5 runners) compared to other teams.”

The best thing about running cross country are the friendships made.

“It’s great. They’re like my best friends. It’s amazing to run with them. I love it,” Acker said.

Both runners said their next goal is to qualify for state as a team, running along side classmate Alexandra Waca and her sister, sophomore Avery Waca the next two to three years. To make that happen, Frueh and Acker know they have to do a better job preparing themselves in the summer and practices.

“We’ll have to run more in the offseason and take it more seriously during the season in practice,” said Acker, who participates in soccer and poms. “We’ll probably do longer runs, maybe 4 (miles) so the 3 feels a little easier.”

The Ruby Acker File:

* 6th place Three Rivers Meet

* PHS leader 9 times

* 16th place at regional

* 56th place at sectional

The Payton Frueh File:

* 15th place Three Rivers Meet

* PHS team leader 5 times

* 11th place at regional

* 36th place at sectional