Liberty Bell XC
Location: Omak Stampede Grounds - Omak WA Date: 10.7.14
Distance: 1.5mi Conditions: 85+ degrees. Hot. Flat.
Comments: Hard to believe that the middle school xc season is over, but CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL all on the excellent season. It was our largest middle school turnout in over a decade and we hope to keep building on this momentum for years to come.
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| Zach and Sam push the pace. Excellent teamwork lions! |
*Personal Record pace
Just like last weekend in Kettle Falls, Israel Escamillo from Omak went out fast. As a season-ending experiment, Emerson tried to hang… but its not quite there yet no matter the valiant effort. We’ll throw some leg-speed 200’s into the mix next year and see what happens. The high school distance is longer, so endurance will factor a little more in the coming years as well. Novie and Walker, as they have all year, drove each other to fast, consistent, times and their front-runner experience will serve them well in 2015. Gretta, Logan, and Peter continued to demonstrate the form and race patience that have guided them all year. A great first season again for all, and we look forward to having Peter and Emerson both on the high school team next year. Even with a great race at Manson, Icel ran even faster today. She out-kicked the arm-sling-wearing Lazo G. at the line but its great seeing teammates work together all the way to the finish. Zach, Sam and Sage form the next trio of 8th graders that will hopefully be back for the high school experience. Sage’s races got stronger all year, and her finishing kick once again proved the difference in a battle to the line with 7th grader Ian Dornfeld. Zach’s experience and and Sam’s persistence have made these two an excellent match in recent races, and it was great having Sam out for his first year of XC. Flagging just a bit in the heat of the afternoon, Ian couldn’t quite hold off the late-charging Sage. His improvement first race to last was impressive and his presence in the group seems to be an important part of keeping things fun. Larkin and Shay dealt admirably with the heat as Larkin cracked 9 min pace for only the second time and Shay once again demonstrated a strong finishing kick that will only get longer and start earlier in the coming years.
Congrats again to all and thank you so much for all of your hard work, respect for your teammates, and willingness to get out there and run!
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| And though they haven't gotten much mention on the blog... a new crop of Liberty Bell middle school racers is already on the move. With eight to nine 6th graders running a few days a week this fall, expect another speedy squad of harriers to toe the middle school at a race near you in 2015. |
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Liberty Bell XC
Location: Lake Chelan State Park - Chelan, WA Date: 10.7.14
Distance: 2.25mi Conditions: 79 degrees. Shady. A few tough hills. Multiple loops.
Comments: Solid races that felt harder than expected. Just two restful days removed from Kettle Falls, it is no surprise that this did not feel fresh. Competition is the name of the game, and we did so again despite less than willing legs.