From The Cumberland Advocate
Dettinger adds his Name to Top CHS Distance Runners
With his 8th place finish at the State Tournament with a time of 16:31.6, Tommy Dettinger adds his name to a list of top distance runners that have been part of Cumberland Athletic history. Four of those individuals, Tim Altmann, Amy and Abby Nelson, and Tyler Odden were honored at the last two Cumberland Hall of Fame Banquets.
Cross Country itself has been both a sponsored and non-sponsored sport off and on in the District for years. Most recently, the sport was added to the officially sponsored category in 1988, moving from the non-sponsored category, which at that time was sponsored by Community Ed.
Among a few of the early strong distance runners prior to 1988 included Steve Anderson and Ben Lombard. Then in 1990, Ryan Steines joined that group when he became Cumberland’s first male Cross Country runner to reach the State Meet.
Steines would go to State three straight years, finishing as high as ninth in 1991, when he ran a 17:30. He would finish in the top-25 runners each of his three appearances. An excellent distance runner, in track, he would set school records in the 1600 (4:35.4) and the 3200m run (9:58.2).
His career along with several others would set the stage for the Beavers best distance runners, Tyler Odden. Odden went to State Cross Country all four years starting in 1996, finishing 16th as a freshman and as high as sixth in 1999, when running a 16:32. His personnel best time was a School Record 15:47.
Tyler Odden would play a major role in Cumberland’s only Conference Cross Country Title in 1997 while his final State appearance in the fall of 1999 coincided with Nathan Odden’s first State Meet, where he finished 20th. He would go to State three straight years, with his best finish an 11th in 2001, when he ran a 16:34.
The WIAA finally sponsored Ladies Cross Country in 1975 and Cumberland began documenting successful female distance runner names such as Jone Sundval, Joy Burns, Laila Dierks, Monica Zappa, and Sarah Haverly. Burns was a multiple Team MVP.
It was the Nelson twins, however, whose love of running produced the Beavers only two HON Titles in 1999 and 2000. Their exploits included high finishes at the Conference Meet and State appearances.
Among those who followed were Liz Braml, who appeared in the 2011 State Meet and ran a 16:27 and Carly McCreary, who was a two-time All-Conference honoree and made a State appearance in 2022.
Since the HON has added the sport, Northwestern has dominated Cross Country, taking 14 of the last 17 Boy’s Titles and 14 of the last Girls Championships.
Cumberland, meanwhile, continues to work to challenge the top teams, with young runners such as Jovina Skinner, Ben Dettinger, and Jack Odden hoping to become part of the next Conference Title
