Northwest XC Review – Week Ending 10-23

By Leo Collins

The Wesco/Cascade Conference Championships saw a number of Washington ‘s finest athletes take to the trails with Amy-Eloise Neale of Glacier Peak recording the most impressive performance. Amy had by far the top time of the day with her CR 17:49. Her team mates Marren Haneberg (18:59) & Katie Bianchini (19:03) placed 2nd & 3rd in the 3A field. Minna Fields of Stanwood won the 4A title for girls with her 18:47 & Cia Bywater of Lake Stevens was 2nd in 19:35. Cara Stodel of Cedarcrest claimed the Cascade title with 19:35. Jeff Bastian of Glacier Peak won the boys’ 3A title with the day’s top time of 15:42 & Sean White of GP was 2nd with 16:00. Aaron Campbell of Cascade-Everett scored in the 4A boys’ race with 15:57 & Tyler King of Couperville took the Cascade title with 15:58.

In the Narrows League Meet at Fort Steilacoom Nate Brennand of Olympia was proclaimed champion with a time of 16:00. Darryl Phill of Bellarmine Prep came from behind to score in the girls race (18:47) over Maureen Tremblay of Gig Harbor, who ran 18:55.

Priscilla Timmons of Skyview annexed the 4A District 4 Championship with a time of 18:57, while leading her team to its fourth straight title. Roman Kirkov of Union ran 16:10 to top the guys.

In the Big Nine 3A District in Richland Erin Hegarty of Hanford ran 18:25 to win & Anthony Armstrong of Kamiakin scored with a time of 15:46.

Lincoln Park in Seattle was the sight of the KingCo Championships & there were a number of high quality times among the boys. Kyle Branch zipped home in 15:39 to defeat Keegan Symmes & Johnathan Stevens who both were clocked in 15:45 for 5K. Alex Bowns was 4th in 15:46. Chandler Olson of Woodinville ran 17:56 yet was only five seconds better than Anastasia Koskh. Lucy Cheadle was timed in 18:07 for 3rd.

In Spokane Katie Knight easily claimed the girls’ GSL #5 District race with 18:38 and Rachel Nelson (18:38) & Katie Mahoney (18:39) took 2nd & 3rd. North Central ‘s Vince Hamilton (15:46) & Casey Adams (15:51) went 1 – 2 while Nathan Weitz of Shadle Park was 3rd with 16:00.

Aaron Nelson scored in the Big 9 4A District in Yakima with his excellent 15:15 clocking. Jacob Smith (15:31) & Santos Vargas (15:40) earned 2nd & 3rd with fine times & Nicholas Boersma was 4th in 15:47.

Idaho had its district meets & its state meet will be this weekend. Some of the most noteworthy performances were turned in by Tyler Crofts of Hillcrest (15:38) in the 4A District 6 meet, Dallin Farnsworth (who remained undefeated in winning the 5A District 5-6 meet in 16:06) & Cody Larson, who ran 15:55 to take the 5A D3 race. Kate Jamboretz of Boise ran 18:34 to win the girls’ race. Kylie Hutchinson of Highland won the 5A D5-6 race with 20:12. Kinsey Gomez of Coeur d’Alene ran 18:43 to win the 5A D1 race by over a minute. David Norris won 5A with 16:11- the same time as Adam Story ran to win the 4A race. Emily Nist ran 18:39 as her Bishop Kelly team mates Rebecca Lassere & Briana Tiffany took 2nd & 3rd.

Annamarie Maag of Jesuit ran 18:12 on her home course as Amira Joseph (18:34) & Payton Schutte (18:35) (also Crusaders) topped Andrea Dettman of Centennial & Emily Trosino of Reynolds. Badane Sultessa of Centennial ran 15:41 to best a strong male contingent that included 2nd place Bekama Baldi of Reynolds (15:49), Alex Foote of Aloha (15:52) , Jack Hagler of Jesuit ( 15:54) & Mubark Mebrat of Reynolds (15:54).

Erin Clark of South Eugene continues to impress & on Tuesday won the South Eugene Invitational in 19:01 defeating Paige Kouba (20:02) also from the Axe Gals. Thurston’s Kyle Ruhlin won the boys’ race with 16:41.

Of National Interest

Molly Grabill (a 2009 Foot Locker finalist) of Rancho Bernardo travelled to Eugene for a recruiting trip at the University of Oregon and then went to Mt. SAC to win that major race. Incidentally Aisling Cuffe (another Foot Locker national finalist) of Cornwall, NY was at Stanford last weekend as a recruit. Molly won the Individual Sweepstakes race over the 3 Mile course, as Adriana Olivas raced home in 17:16. Jessie Petersen ran 17:25 in 3rd & Alaska’s Molly Callahan (West Valley – Fairbanks) placed 14th on the demanding course with a time of 18:20. Sarah Baxter blitzed the Girls’ Team Sweepstakes race with a stunning 16:41. Baxter is only a freshman & another super-frosh Emma Abrahamson took 2nd in 17:05. Alli Billmeyer of Torrey Pines. Catrina McAlister, one of the nation’s top female runner, had an off day placing 12th with a time of 17:48. McAlister runs for Arcadia, which has a strong male team & its duo of Ammar Moussa & Sergio Gonzalez went 1 – 2 with times of 14:22 & 14:44. Luis Gutierrez of Rancho Cucamunga was 3rd in 14:59. Elias Gedyon of Loyola won the individual race with a time of 14:26 to top Samuel Pons (14:30), Lane Werley (14:35) & Matt Carpowich (14:40).

Congratulations to the guys from Tully, NY who won again last week, which marks their 100 straight conference win. They have not lost a dual meet since 1995. It may be a small school yet racing fans are familiar with at least one of the team’s alumni, who contributed to the streak: Lopez Lomong, who made it to Foot Locker & then to the Olympics.

Also in Central New York Maria LaMontagne of Cicero-North Syracuse ran in just her third race last week & in spite of the fact that it was only a dual meet she set a new course record on the Liverpool course. Her time was 17:10. Liverpool, of course, was the home of Foot Locker & US Olympic star Jen Rhines: not a bad path to trace. Maria followed that race with an 18:06 to claim the Marathon Invitational over Lauren Mullins (18:21) & Laura Leff (18:26 of West Genesee). Chris Buchanan annexed the boys title at marathon with 16:08.

Montana held its State meet last weekend over a three mile course of note were Caroline Hardin, who won the AA title in 17:30 to defeat Dani Aragon (17:49). Brook Rodgers & Sadi Henderson both ran 18:51 with the former getting the nod in the A division. Chiara Warner ran 18:59 to win the B Girls. Jacob Turner won the big-school division (15:34) over Jakob Woodland (15:39). Chris Jessop won A with 16:00.

The Utah State course is also only three miles & Shea Martinez of Davis won 5A in 18:45. Clayton Young of American Fork ran 15:23 to defeat his team mate MacKenzie Morrison by two seconds. Summer Harper of Orem had the best time for all girls when she claimed the 4A title in 18:00 & Trevor Thompson was the only boy to break 16 minutes as he won with 15:56.

Wyoming was the third state to hold its meet Hailey Hicks of Star Valley won the 4A race with 19:48, which was the best girls’ time of the day. Alex Sorenson was timed in 16:20, which edged Austin Reitsma by a second, to garner the 4A title. The 2A boys’ race went in a scintillating 18:03.

Indiana held what it calls Semi-State races last Saturday & 2008 Foot Locker National Finalist Futsum Zeinasellassie scorched the field with his 5K in 14:51 on the Carmel course. Jason Crist & Fillmon Adhanom ran 15:14 & 15:15 for the next two placements. Chris Walden, a 2009 Foot Locker finalist, who has run under 15 minutes this season, had an off day placing but tenth in 15:41. John Mascari continued his break-out season with a win at Brown in 14:59 to top John Lowry’s 15:09. James Martin won the New Haven semi in 15:19 & Kyle Overway scored at New Prairie wit 15:30. Nicole Lucas had the best time of the day for girls, when she won at Brown in 17:53. Renee Wellman of Carmel beat her team mate Sarah Bennett on their home course by five seconds with a time of 18:04. Waverly Neer ran 17:53 to win at New Prairie & Brianna Johnson was the fastest at New Haven with 18:13.

In Illinois Lukas Verzbicas ran 3 miles in 14:35 to score in the Southwest Suburban meet & Jack Griggs of York was clocked in 14:37 as he won the three mile West Suburban race. Brooke Wolfe scored in the Mid-Suburban with her 17:09.

Foot Locker finalist Sara Sargent of Pennsylvania ran 18:02 to win the Sol National Conference championship, while Chris Campbell won the boys’ race with 15:40. Hannah Grossman won the Central League Championship with 18:25.

At the Albany County Championship held in Latham, NY Michael Libruk zipped through the three mile course in 15:38 to edge his Shaker team mates Christian Delago & Jon Vallecorsa by one & two seconds respectively. Leah Triller of Holy Names won with 18:37 defeating Courtney Tedeschi of Berne-Know-West by two seconds.

In the New York City PSAL meet named in honor of Marty Lewis, who for years was the race director of the Foot Locker Northeast Regional Mitchell Kun of Sheepshead Bay won in 16:16. Jamie Abatemarco of Townsend Harris (a great name for those of you who enjoy history) scored in the girls’ race with 20:36. In Ohio defending Division III champion Tammy Berger won the SW District with 18:38. In the various districts in that state Hannah Neczypor of North Royalton won at Cleveland ‘s Edgewater Park with 18:22 & John Sweeney of St. Ignatius ran 15:57 to top the guys. Katie Betts of Stow-Munroe Falls ran 18:59, while Josh Sabo of Richfield Revere won in 16:12. At Lakeland Community College Euclid’s Emily Sweet won in 19:08 & Zack McBride clocked 16:24. Anna Boyart of Medina won the Lorain CC District with 18:39 to top Selena Pasadyn of Brunswick’s 18:44 & Russell McCune of Wadsworth won in 16:07. At Canton Curtis Hanle of Louisville won easily with 15:36. Carly Hamilton of Springboro flew home in 17:54 to win the Southwest, while Jordan Held ran 15:45. Monica Lake of Mason ran 18:23 to top Samantha Siler of Cincinnati Sycamore by six seconds in the A race, while Michelle Thomas’ 18:11. Travis Hawes & Ethan Bokeno of Cincinnati LaSalle went 1 – 2 as Hawes’ 15:48 won by four seconds in the A race. Two-time defending Ohio State champion Zach Wills of Mason was timed in 15:34 & won by almost 20 seconds. At Watkins Rachel Bosworth of Dublin won with 18:23. The boys’ section 1 & 2 races were claimed by Luis Carbajal (15:39) & Tsehaye Hiluf (15:40). The Maine Regional races were held on Friday and Abby Mace won her third straight Western title (Class B with a time of 20:01. Silas Eastman won the boys’ West with 16:20. It was a battle of 2009 Foot Locker National finalist Abbey Leonardi of Kennebunk & Emily Durgin of Cheverus with Leonardi cropping the crown with 18:26. Durgin ran 18:44 & her team mate Fiona Hendry was third with 19:31. Cheverus also had Shannon Conley (19:46) in 4th & Kiera Murray (20:09) in 6th Cheverus with 3 points easily took the team title. Matthew McClintock of Madison ran 16:13.40 to top Chase Brown of Boothbay, who ran 16:34.30.

Billy Orman, a 2009 Foot Locker national qualifier, won the Holbrook Invitational in Arizona with a 16:24 clocking. In Virginia the Catholic Schools Championship saw Colleen Schrader & Hannah Frazier, both from Bishop Sullivan, battle for the victory with Schrader taking the win in 18:48 to 19:14 for her friend. Ireton’s Michael Anderson & Liam O’ Connor challenged each other in the boys’ race with Anderson earning the victory. Kelsey Ibarra of Central York ran 18:42 to triumph in Pennsylvania ‘s YAIAA Championships.