Heartland Christian’s Rebecca Geiss (18) competes in the Div. III 3200-meter run on Saturday at the state track meet in Columbus. (Photo by Ron Firth)

COLUMBUS — Heartland Christian junior Rebecca Geiss has raced to a state championship and two state runners-up finishes. Her best race ever may have come Saturday.

Despite missing most of the season with a stress fracture in her foot, Geiss placed fifth in the Division III girls 3200-meter run at the state track meet at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

“You’re going to face things you don’t know why they happen,” she said. “It gives me a lot of confidence to do this with such limited training.”

It is her third straight year standing on the podium in the event. This was the most surprising finish as she came in as the last qualifier after sixth at regionals the week before.

“It took a lot of pressure off me,” she said. “It was easier going from the bottom up than from the top.”

Her time of 11 minutes, 14.62 seconds was only two seconds off her second-place time as a freshman. Geiss said she doesn’t rank her races, but her smile told the story.

“Winning was amazing, but this shows me how amazing God is and how strong He makes me,” she said.

Geiss said she started having foot problems in mid March and was wearing a walking boot.

She said she ran eight races all season, most in the last three weeks with the district, regional and state meets. She missed all of April and most of May.

“I feel fully recovered and that is a testament to God,” said. “This injury wasn’t the end to my season.”

She hasn’t done much running in training, focusing more on biking and jogging in the pool.

“My foot feels 100 percent,” she said. “As far as my times from last year, you can tell I’m not.”

Smithville junior Kaitlyn Carr won the 3200 run (10:48.87) and repeated as state champion in the 1600 run (4:49.44).

McDonald freshman Naomi Sheesley third in the 1600 run (a personal-best 5:02.99).

Geiss was one of four runners who did not start the 1600 run.

She saved herself for the 3200 run. She was 15th after the first lap.

Geiss’ last lap of 1:15.25 was the second fastest lap in the race for the entire 18-runner field.

“I’m going to take a week off before training for cross country,” she said. “I will not run as many miles.”

She said she was running 40 miles a week at her highest and will now be “10 at the most” while still recovering.

“I try to take something good from every race and work on it,” Geiss said. “I don’t think about bad races.”

Not that she’s ever had one.