In our first meet of the season, the coaches were as excited as the athletes, having seen the focus and effort our athletes brought into the preseason training. We were not disappointed. The Boys Race had us competing as a team for the first time in 5 years with 5 runners. Jack E. established himself as the clear front runner with a PR of 8:13 with 2nd place a good 20 yards back. Oden O. and Sasha B. placed 25th and 26th in the field of 79 with Jonathan P. following in 37th. Josh L. was our most pleasing surprise, having a given goal of 15:00, came close in his first effort. Overall, running as the smallest team, our boys finished 5th out of 8. Our lone athlete in the Girl’s Race acquitted herself with a characteristic gutty performance as she battled from 21st mid-race to 15th in a PR of 10:30 despite a painful side stitch (cramp). The first meet is about setting a baseline performance on a flat, fast course on which we could build for more challenging courses. Our athletes should feel encouraged by their start and set some lofty goals, which are possible if we stay focused and healthy.
Our next race is Thursday, September 19th (boys race at 4:15 p.m. and girls race at 4:45 p.m.)
Author: Marc Whitlock & Natalie Bennett
