Okanogan Invite (Middle School) 9/21/2021

Okanogan Invite 9/21/2021

Course Length: 1.4 Miles

 We don't have any final results due to a mix up this week. We also unfortunately weren't able to take a (decent) picture of everyone this week. Promise we'll do better next time! As such, we're going to do something slightly different this week. All the pictures will be at the end of the post instead of interspersed throughout!

General Notes – The race is run on a golf course, which means the vast majority of the course is short grass. The rest of the course is a gravel/dirt cart path. There is one major hill just before the one mile mark, followed by a steep downhill. Otherwise, the course is mostly rolling inclines with a few short ups and downs. The weather was fairly warm and sunny the entire day. All middle school athletes ran in one race, which meant the start line was crowded and almost everyone had someone to run with. Unfortunately, we don’t have finishing times or places due to a mix up, but we do have mile splits!

Alida – One mile: 9:12

You went out a bit slower than at Wenatchee, but that's totally understandable. The short turnaround means your legs are still tired from racing. You also spent a lot of the race on your own, but that's a good way to focus on your own race. I thought you looked very competent and solid the whole way. Really well done!

Taylor – One mile: 7:32

I'll start off by saying congratulations! The plan was to run with Josie and Ingrid, and after some catching up over the first mile, you got off to a great start. You went out a bit faster than at Wenatchee, but you were able to keep pushing all the way through the line. Being near your teammates meant you always had the motivation to run. Next time, we'll make sure you three are all next to each other on the start line!

Nina – One mile: 8:28

Despite running 3 days earlier, you still had plenty of energy to start out strong. You ran well with the group towards the beginning of the race, but then you were able to hang strong as the pack started to split up. You look better every single race you run, and you should be proud of how much you’ve improved. Your consistency and drive is relentless!

Sisu – One mile: 7:47

You went out a bit slower than at Manson, but that's to be expected on this course. That hill is really tough! Still, you found some people to run with and stuck with a group, moving up the whole way. You dug deep while running by yourself and turned in a really great race. Nice job!

Wylie – One mile: 7:28

Your first mile was basically the same as at Manson which means you ran tough through the earlier part of the race. You also found yourself right there with some of your teammates which is an excellent way to run! You always look super consistent while you’re running, even as you get tired. That’s a testament to how great of a runner you are!

Ben K. – One mile: 6:11

Wow, you ran your first mile at exactly the same pace as the 1-mile at Manson! That’s great consistency which is an important thing to learn for racing. Keep the consistency up and you will keep improving. Even while running a lot of the race by yourself, which can be tough, you still managed to find the strength and energy to compete. Good work!

Sam K. – One mile: 7:22

Only a few days after racing hard in Wenatchee, you ran really well on a tough course. You’re figuring out your own pace, finding that sweet spot of not going out too fast but not going out too slow. By running with your teammates through most of the race, you found a lot of motivation and energy too. I’m excited to see what you can do next!

Soren – One mile: 10:56

Awesome job! I think you did a great job of running a hard race – being out there by yourself can be challenging but you found the determination within to keep going and finish strong. And you even felt faster at the end! I think that will help you with the next race and you will be able to find an even steadier pace.

Zach – One mile: 11:46

You did it! I know it was a tough one and you might have had some nerves, but you worked hard, even though there were some tricky spots. I saw a lot of determination on your face! It’s totally understandable for your legs to be tired in the days after a race and I think as the season continues you will get stronger. I am certain that you can continue to improve and work hard.

Samuel P. – One mile: 7:44

Wow! You had a fantastic race! I am so excited that you had fun during your first ever XC race. That is really awesome. And on top of that, you felt like you found a good pace, not too fast or too slow but still ran hard. Its totally normal to be nervous before racing and I think you did a great job of running your own race.

Bodie – One mile: 5:52

Landon – One mile: 6:43

Oliver – One mile: 6:56

Keller – One mile: 6:57

Anja – One mile: 7:10

Wyatt – One mile: 7:19

Marcel – One mile: 7:21

River – One mile: 7:23

Ingrid – One mile: 7:28

Josie – One mile: 7:28

Sawyer – One mile: 7:28

Ben N – One mile: 7:28

Hugo – One mile: 7:43

Liam – One mile: 8:12

Juniper – One mile: 8:30

Elsa – One mile: 8:30

Yasmin – One mile: 8:38

Freya W – One mile: 8:40

Freya P – One mile: 8:40

Orlo – One mile: 8:40

Dylan – One mile: 9:21

Greta – One mile: 10:22

Elliot – One mile: 10:39

Okanogan Invite @ Omak Golf Course -- 9/21/21

RACE COURSE: Omak Golf Course, 3mi… but also maybe slightly closer to 5k (the Casdade coach said it was 3.07k). Anyway, slightly adjusted from the spring season version with less cart path running and LOTS of firm, fast grass. Low-mid 70’s. Sunny, but a bit more shaded/cooler for the 5:30pm boy’s varsity race.

OVERALL: We talked a bit at practice already, but this was a meet where we just needed to get out and go to work. Mission accomplished! As mentioned as well, we were consistent in our efforts and there were no wild swings in performance in the three days since Wenatchee. Excellent. This meet was essentially a Tuesday workout with a little race day mental practice. We got in 5000m of interval work to kick off the middle part of our season, and we also had some great opportunities with both the boys and the girls to “pack it up” and practice running with teammates. And there were some picture-perfect scenarios in that regard. This will continue to serve us well in the weeks ahead. A great job to all, and here we go with Week #6!

JV BOYS: 53 Finishers - Another scoring effort with seven JV runners, and we were the 4th team overall behind Brewster, Cascade, and Cashmere.

Kyler: 20:53, 13th place. 1st Mile: 6:16
SO close to a faster time than last week, and it was a huge PR on this course - which you covered in 22:36 with when we raced here last March. The best thing about this race was that you attacked the first mile and that you owned your spot in that front part of the pack. Cousin Wiley was Omak’s second runner, and you beat him by over a minute! You are going to have SO many people to race this weekend at Twilight and you are going to love it!

Little T (Tristan H): 22:21, 22nd place. 1st Mile: 6:26,
Consistent again with that first mile even with the big hill and it was great to see you and Taro together at that point in the race. Your experience with JRH racing is a great bonus for Taro’s learning curve in the sport and I’m hopeful this week at Twilight that you all can pack it up for as long as possible. Keep thinking about the rhythm in your arms and excellent job as well in coming to practice on Friday even when you were no doubt tired from the Outward Bound trip. Efforts like that will keep adding to you stamina and mid-race strength.

Tristan: 22:33, 24th place, 1st Mile: 5:53,
So great to see you leading this thing out and putting yourself right where you deserved to be with a commanding 100m+ lead before the inexplicable light-headedness etc.. A good decision on your part to back it off, but I’m also really glad that you finished in a controlled manner and did not have to drop. Maybe a hydration issue… but let’s keep checking in this week and be certain that you don’t have similar symptoms at any practice. I’d also try some Nuun or a similar kind of electrolyte tablet for workouts on Tues and Thursday this week. I’ll talk to you more about it on Monday.

Taro: 22:52, PR, 28th place. 1st Mile: 6:26
Awesome to see you right there with Tristan at the mile, and this is maybe 20-25 seconds faster at the mile than you were on Saturday in Wenatchee. You might have felt it a little later on, but at the same time these are good experiments to make, and your fitness is only going to improve with each and every race. TONS of kids again in the race this weekend in Marysville. You and Tristan will have lots of company and a fun, fast course on which to run your best time of the season so far.

Malloch: 23:27, 32nd place. 1st Mile: 7:20
Nice job getting out similar to Saturday, and in the grand scheme of times you were consistently faster than most on the team. And by that I mean you ran just about the exact same time at Okanogan as you did at Wenatchee, whereas most people were a little bit slower. This is a good sign that you are strong and that racing just a few days apart didn’t show up in more tired legs or any different ability to push through the harder parts of the race. There should be tons of kids for you to race this coming weekend in Marysville. If you can push in the middle and pass people in the final mile like you did in Wenatchee, you have a great shot at breaking 23 minutes!

Madison: 25:32, 41st place. 1st Mile: 7:30
First, you ran 30:27 in March, so this was a big improvement! Sorry to hear about the stomach issues in the final mile but you were working hard and maybe there is a little bit that you can refine in your pre-race snack. Ideally, you’ll eat something 2 hours ahead of time, and you really won’t need any special fuel for these shorter 5k efforts. Keep thinking about good arm drive to lift the legs and to keep that tempo going. A 25min 5k (24:30 even) this weekend at Twilight is a real possibility!

Hunter: 33:29, 49th place. 1st Mile: 10:20
Great job out there Hunter! Sometimes these smaller races can be even a little more difficult because you don’t have quite as many people to run with. That being said, you found a spot early and raced the race you had. Five weeks in you are stronger than you even know. I saw it on those Saturday hills as you were kicking on that short section at the top. Keep working on that tempo. Drop those arms a bit to the hips and let them drive you forward. Your endurance is getting there. Now you need to crank it up a bit and trust that you can keep it rolling -- which you can. Have a great trip to visit your sister and be sure to keep running while you are gone!!!

VARSITY GIRLS: 44 Finishers. 2nd place. 39 for LBHS vs 37 for Cascade. We saw some excellent racing -- not just running -- out there. You all were sooo competitive with a good (and larger school sized) Cascade team right down the line. It was exciting to see each of you find your race and then dig in for it. You are a very good team capable of surprising a lot of people. Consider that a strength.

Jori: 20:33, 3rd place, 1st Mile: 6:28
Nice job taking charge from the start. You know what a good pace is and you didn’t let the other racers get away with playing games at the beginning. You ran confidently and, like on Saturday, that also provided the sense of calm and confidence your teammates needed. I loved seeing that extra fierce kick in the last 50 meters -- you have some extra gears!

Leki: 20:34, 4th place, 1st Mile: 6:28
Another super impressive showing, especially just two days off your first race and just a few days from not feeling so well. You did an excellent job of sticking like glue to your teammates and (hopefully) zoning out at times and then focusing in. That stretch from 2 to 3 miles is going to start feeling easier -- just be patient. Keep getting out in good position like you are and trust. You have great racing instincts -- as you feel more in the groove with this season, let those instincts guide you, don’t let your mind get in the way!

Dashe: 20:53, 5th place, 1st Mile: 6:28
That was such a super impressive last mile -- oh my! You did a great job getting out in mile 1 and we want you to keep doing that. Then, you lost a little contact in the middle but, wow, did you do an awesome job re-connecting. That is hard work -- and takes a lot of mental strength, patience, and determination. I hope you feel extra proud of that effort -- it tells me you are ready for an excellent performance at Twilight.

Payten: 23:10, 13th place, 1st Mile: 7:24
You did an excellent job reeling in Cascade’s #5 runner and bringing along Kierra in her 2021 debut. Your confidence, patience, and strength made both of those successes possible. You got out a bit slower (about 11 seconds) than on Saturday. When we get back to a big field at Twilight on Saturday, I want to encourage you to get out harder (like in Wenatchee) and launch yourself so that you are surrounded by people who will help pull you along. Keep talking to us about those pesky shins.

Kierra: 23:14, 14th place, 1st Mile: 7:24
It’s so good to see you out there racing. You made a wise choice to follow Payten and, just like in workouts, you ran tougher than I think you give yourself credit for. I know you don’t like a lot of attention for your running, but you really do show a ton of tenacity out there and you do know how to run hard. I think you just might find you like the vibe of this small but mighty girls team this year!

Sandra: 25:05, 20th place, 1st Mile: 7:56
I know you thought that one hurt, but it was still your 2nd fastest race! I think the first quarter mile made all the difference -- at Wenatchee you went out boldly and with this start, you just looked a bit more hesitant. As we head into the Twilight race, please remember all the hard work you are putting in and trust yourself -- you can do hard things and even if you go out too hard, you will (I just know it) find a way to keep racing. You are capable of running very fast for 5K -- we just need you to believe that from the moment the gun goes off.

Zoe: 29:07, 31st place. 1st Mile: 9:20
Two longer races under your belt in just 3 days! You’ve more than proven that the longer distances are no problem. This was another fine early season race and you should feel good about the way you tackled that hill twice. You have plenty of endurance, strength, and positive attitude to get you through any race. So, now as we look to Twilight, let’s start talking race strategy and get you going out a little harder. I think you’re going to surprise yourself.

VARSITY BOYS: 68 Finishers. 1st place out of 10 complete teams. LBHS 31, Cascade 59, Cashmere 83, Royal 100, Tonasket 181, Republic 181, Okanogan 243, Manson 249, Omak 265, Lake Roosevelt 265. This was our first team victory in maybe 3-4 years. It was a necessary work-a-day mid-week performance at a smaller meet, but it was a statement nonetheless with all seven runners in the top 17 and 6 of our runners in before any other team had three.

Dexter: 16:34, 1st place, 1st Mile: 5:23
Will: 16:39, 2nd place, 1st Mile: 5:23
Terrific team running and you two have clearly established yourselves as the class of District 6 as we head into the middle part of the season. Excellent to see you work together and it seemed like there was some talk and communication about how things were going and/or when to push etc.. This kind of work will pay dividends well into the future, and I hope that you can find each other again in the busier field at Twilight -- just like you did last weekend in Wenatchee. Keep trusting that gut for first mile pacing. Keep rolling on that strength from good summer miles and consistent long runs. GRRR!

Will, not that you need a reminder of last spring, but even Connor Torgeson who won that meet only ran 17:54 in March. A slightly different course, yes, but smooth, strong, and confident running out there all around. Nice work!

Graham: 17:35, 7th place, 1st Mile: 5:30
Aksel: 17:56, 10th place, 1st Mile: 5:30 -- after a 20:22 performance in March!
Isaiah: 18:04, 11th place, 1st Mile: 5:30 -- after a 20:39 in March :)
Carter: 18:05, 12th place, 1st Mile: 5:30
I will get back to some individual thoughts for Twilight, but the story of the day here was NOT about individual times. It was about team running and pack domination at the start of that race, AND the fact that your ambitions and very noticeable front-running was backed up 100% as the race unfolded. Yes, we spread out a bit after mile one, but not a single team could match us and you held each other accountable and stuck as close together as a group as you possibly could. This is soul-crushing running when it comes to other teams! If you think it’s hard but can look up to 3-4 other teammates just seconds apart, you know that the team is doing well. If someone on another team sees four of you packed at the mile and only seconds apart at mile 2.5, they KNOW that you are dominating the race. Six guys in the top twelve and all seven of you in the top seventeen. Keep looking for each other. Keep talking and encouraging one another. Keep those heads up and those arms cranking to bridge those gaps and to pass other people en masse and as a group. Tight team running like this is a HUGE advantage in a race like Twilight. Just another step along the way, but it will be exciting to see you race in that final session of the meet at 7pm and under the lights!

Jackson: 18:58, 17th place, 1st Mile: 5:51
Another race where your form looked fantastic and carried you through even when things got hard. You are standing tall, picking up those feet and really have an excellent snap and energy to your running right now. Keep running like that -- AND like you did in the hill workout on Saturday -- and the time is going to drop in chunks over the next 2-3 races. You ran 21:15 in March on this course and you are a totally different runner again this fall. Keep up the great work and you are going to LOVE getting back to Twilight!

Wenatchee Invite @ Walla Walla Point Park -- 9/18/21

RACE COURSE: Walla Walla Point Park, 5km. A course we’ve run many times before, with a long out-n’-back section and a few tight turns in the second half of the loop. Mostly grass with just a few quick sidewalk crossings. A firmer and shorter ground/grass than usual. Fast running with LOTS of big schools and the largest field of entrants in the history of the meet. Mid 60’s and overcast. A little humid maybe but again excellent running weather!

OVERALL: Wow! First, take a little bit of this day and tuck away in your “I did that!” pocket. You did, and if at any point you need that kind of race again you can pull it out and use it. Tuesday at Okanogan is another day. Twilight is another day. State qualifying is another day. But you did THIS on Saturday, and THAT is what we are capable of as a team. Times aside, this means that we are capable of adapting to a late bus arrival, of eating and hydrating to match your race schedule, of supporting each other and cheering on teammates across another weekend of multiple races, of setting excellent goals… and of already smashing some of them to pieces such that you will calibrate and consider new and different goals for the weeks ahead. At the start of week #5 we are solidly into the “WORK” phase of the season. Come to practice. Run your miles. Do the necessary things. You “did that” and now we keep adding layers to make it even better.

JV GIRLS: 113 Finishers -

Zoe: 28:58, PR, 69th place. 1st Mile: 9:31, Overall Pace: 9:19
A crazy awesome first high school 5K! You said you wanted to finish, feel good, and maybe, someday go under 30 minutes. Well, check, check, and check! You not only showed you can do this, you showed you can get faster each mile. Great job being patient at the start and then having some fun passing people throughout the second half. Next time we’ll go out a little harder, now that we know that finishing is no problem! My favorite part of the race -- you saying at the end “that was fun.”

JV BOYS (9/10): 164 Finishers - 9th place as a team. Because we had at least five runners in this race we get a team score to go along with our individual places. Nice work showing up for each other and for making it a team effort!

Kyler: 20:51, PR, 36th place. 1st Mile: 6:49, Overall Pace: 6:43
Never sleep on Kyler Mitchell! A new 5k PR (fully 50 seconds faster than last last spring) and a negative split pace in the spiked-up season debut. 100% no pressure or expectation that you will knock off time every race, but fun to see you pick up again right where you left off. A really great job in getting your arms involved with that final kick to the finish. Coming by the volleyball courts I could see you change gears, look ahead to the finish, and actively engage. All great stuff for a final kick to the finish. Great first race of the new season Kyler. Onward and upward!

Little T (Tristan H): 21:26, PR, 46th place. 1st Mile: 6:26, Overall Pace: 6:54
An ambitious first mile, but that is where you wanted to be and that is how you wanted to run it. This is great. Honestly, don’t change a thing right now. With not much summer running you are still building fitness for late in the race, but your natural running rhythm and inclination is to get out strong. Keep doing that! You will feel fitter each week and soon enough that 6:20 pace will continue through the whole of the course. Keep thinking too about using those arms. Great how you mention it in your goals and we saw you thinking about it out there when gearing up for the kick. You can do the same thing each and every time that you try to pass someone or want to tuck in behind and catch a ride with a runner just ahead. Quick little drives with your arms will pick your legs up and pull you along. A great 5k opener Tristan. Keep up the excellent work!

Taro: 21:58, PR, 62nd place. 1st Mile: 6:53, Overall Pace: 7:04
Congrats on HS XC race no. 1… and in a HUGE and crowded 5k field at that! Not every race will feel this crazy at the start, but you did well to navigate and we could see you looking for teammates and staying focused on racing with those around you. You kept a good rhythm in your arms and on that second loop worked hard to avoid getting gapped. A strong final kick up the hill as well! Tons of great stuff to build on here, but impressive too, how well-paced this was for your first racing effort. You are mentally tough and even with limited experience you didn’t fall off too much on pace from that opening mile through the finish. Each race is different, and this week at Okanogan we’ll have a more significant hill in the middle of the race and a longer, flatter kick to the finish. Great to have you on the team!

Malloch: 23:23, PR, 100th place. 1st Mile: 7:25, Overall Pace: 7:32
Another excellent race Malloch and you are just simply much stronger after a summer of runs to Perrygin Lake and the other bits and pieces of running work/biking that you were able to do. Your first mile to final pace ratio is great, but I’m surprised even that you didn’t end up running faster in the second half. You were passing SO many people and you look really loose, relaxed, and fluid. One thing that you could work on is maybe just a little less movement in your head and neck. Less side-to-side in your upper body will translate to even more efficient movement down the trail. Great racing again in your HS 5k debut!

 

Hunter: 32:48, PR, 160th place. 1st Mile: 10:11, Overall Pace: 10:33
XC race number two and with an extra mile to boot! Nice job again Hunter and a steady pace overall that will definitely get faster in the weeks ahead. Two things to help in our next race at Okanogan, 1.) Be sure to be dressed for running when we board the bus. We won’t have too many other races with such gigantic lines for the bathroom, but all of that waiting definitely cut into your warmup time. And 2.) your first race and your paces so far in practice show that you can get out even a little bit faster. This was a farther race or course and all of this is new, but your first mile last week was 8:35 and you can handle something closer to 9 or 9:15 for even the longer distance. You are stronger than you think. Keep up the great work!

JV BOYS (11/12): 102 Finishers

Tristan: 19:20, 18th place, 1st Mile: 6:04, 2nd Mile: 12:09, Overall Pace: 6:13
Gutsy running Tristan and awesome to see you going for it in that first 800 to put yourself firmly near the front of that race. Those are big-school numbers of kids that we were racing -- programs with double or quadruple our numbers and you just said “I should be near the front of this race.” You totally crushed that first two miles, raced the pack around you with no worries, and the final stretch is going to fall into place very soon. You ran 20:53 here at the same weeks of the season during freshman year and you just ran as fast as your freshman Twilight time on a much slower course and two weekends earlier. You are a fast runner on a fast team. We are deep as a group and your running, leadership, and ability at any moment to be a top seven member (on that already fast team) make us tough as nails all the way around!

Madison: 26:05, 90th place. 1st Mile: 7:23, Overall Pace: 8:24
What a difference a season of experience makes! You launched into this first 5k and finished very near your best time from the spring. Nothing but up from here, and each race is going to feel more and more solid as we get a few more miles under the belt and few more speed sessions in. 7:23 for an opening mile is a terrific ballpark for now. Don’t change a thing! In the next race or two you’ll hold that longer and the sub 21min goal will be more and more tangible for sure. Work on that goal of more stretching and rolling to keep things loose. More of that hopefully = less soreness and more ability to feel good when it counts. Back to Okanogan on Tuesday and you are a TOTALLY different runner then you were in April!

VARSITY GIRLS: 154 Finishers. 5th place out of 21 teams! Well, my goodness. That sure was a tremendous effort from every single one of you. It was a pure pleasure to watch. You each looked determined and confident and ready to show up for each other. Loved the way you all gathered up outside the finish shoot and celebrated each other! We may be small in number but we are a fierce team!

Jori: 20:18, 10th place, 1st Mile: 6:30, Overall Pace: 6:32
Brilliant! Simply perfect execution of a race plan and terrific senior leadership. You got out right to that sweet spot of the front-but-not-front of the race and you pulled your sophomores right with you. The three of you were an intimidating sight out there -- the whole way together. This was a phenomenal race -- at least 30 seconds faster than ever on this course -- and if my records are right you (all three) ran the second fastest LBHS time on that course. This is going to be a good season.

Leki: 20:19, PR, 11th place, 1st Mile: 6:30, Overall Pace: 6:32
Such a good read on your part to know that you felt ready to race and that this was the right race to start with. You did everything you needed to do -- stuck right with your teammates, zoned out when you needed to, and put the focus and quick steps in at the key moments. Your confidence should be up, your nerves for big races should be down, and you should take great inspiration from the fact that you looked very very within yourself the whole way.

Dashe: 20:20, PR, 12th place, 1st Mile: 6:30, Overall Pace: 6:33
Congratulations! You made that wickedly fast race look like just a fun run with friends in the park. Look at that even pacing you three held -- that’s a coach’s dream this early in the season. I love that you worked hard AND that you said it was fun. That is a very fast first high school 5K time on a course that is not known for being fast. You just got out there, did the work, and let good things happen. Let’s keep up the group/pack running and keep finding strength in each other.

Payten: 22:18, PR, 59th place, 1st Mile: 7:09, Overall Pace: 7:11
My, oh my. What a season you are having. You’ve decided you are not only a runner but a racer. You are welcoming the nerves as a sign you are ready to race and you are embracing the moments of hard and pain as something you know you can get through. This wasn’t just a PR, this was a smashing of your personal best on any course by about a minute. Just keep doing what you are doing -- getting out hard, believing in your ability, racing those around you, and bringing that positive attitude to each workout.

Ayeanna: 23:27, PR, 79th place, 1st Mile: 7:23, Overall Pace: 7:33

We are so excited for you. What a great race! You kicked off this season’s 5K racing with a time faster than you were running at the end of your very very strong sophomore season. That should be a huge boost -- and as this season progresses you are only going to get faster. Your overall pace this week was faster than for 2 miles last weekend. I thought you did a good job getting out, AND I still think you can get out a little harder -- we’ll give that a go at Twilight! You’re an important contributor to this team in so many ways.

Sandra: 24:00, PR, 94th place, 1st Mile: 7:50, Overall Pace: 7:43
There is so much to say about this race. It was simply phenomenal! I know you weren’t sure about going out harder, but I so appreciate that you trusted us and you did. And, you were so ready for it--in fact, you ran the next two miles even faster than the first, which was already faster than any cross-country mile you had raced yet! That confirms for me what I had been thinking--you like to race and the difference on Saturday was that you got into the race with people running faster, so you went faster. This is like a two and half minute PR -- that’s unbelievable. AND, you’ve still got more in you this season. What fun!!

VARSITY BOYS: 207 Finishers. 4th place out of 28 teams!

 
Dexter: 16:20, PR, 6th place, 1st Mile: 5:14, Overall Pace: 5:15
Another sweet race with an exclamation point/kick at the finish that I didn’t quite see coming. Two races in a row where you had a race the whole way through, but a great job especially in finding that early pace for the mile in and in trusting your gut that the pace was sustainable for your first official HS 5k. Those are big-school boys on ranked teams from 1A Ninemile Falls (1) all the way to 4A Henry Jackson (7) and you took ‘em to task like we belonged there -- and we do! A little different, less urgent feeling day on Tuesday but it should be a fun race in Okanogan.

 


Will: 16:33, PR, 14th place, 1st Mile: 5:17, Overall Pace: 5:20
Dang skippy. That was real Will Halpin! Such tough racing and very impressive how much you put yourself near the front of the race with all of those big-school runners and just went for it. Great efforts as well to get connected up right behind Dexter before moving out into that second lap and the long stretch away from the start. A quick start and that mid-race toughness made your race for sure. Take a deep breath now and just strive for consistent, solid racing. Not every meet will warrant that kind of whole body effort or focus, but you can walk away each race with one new arrow in your quiver: a push in the middle, a fast downhill lean, three quick steps to drop someone or connect to a group, quick arms at the finish etc. Great racing. Congrats!

Graham: 17:20, PR, 25th place, 1st Mile: 5:25, Overall Pace: 5:35
A new 5k PR and fully 1+ minute faster than your race on this same course freshman year. Also excellent but not surprising that you basically kept the same pace for your 2mi and just stretched it out for 5k. You are strong. You are mentally tough. You have endurance. Lots of adaptation to come and we will get to push a little more on the speed front in the week leading up to Twilight. Keep packing it up with teammates too, and we should have some good competition from Cascade at Okanogan. Good luck on the bike as well this weekend!

Aksel: 17:37, PR, 37th place, 1st Mile: 5:33, Overall Pace: 5:40
A 37 second improvement over basically the same course from last spring. Great work Aksel and we really appreciate both your patience with the slightly modified workouts this week and for the continued excellent approach to patience and moving up through your races. And just like on the Tuesday hill workout, you still had an extra gear for that final kick to the finish line!

 

Carter: 17:39, PR, 38th place, 1st Mile: 5:25, Overall Pace: 5:41
Also a new 5k PR and about 1:15 faster than your Wenatchee race during freshman year. Great pack running with you and Graham early on and we can probably get Isaiah and Aksel tighter into that mix with you in the smaller race tomorrow at Okanogan. You are doing a great job so far in taking shorter, quicker steps when you build to your kick or put in a surge. The strength in your upper body and good use (quick driving) with your arms is so much more noticeable than in freshman year, plus you also seem a lot more patient and focused out there on the course. Great racing Carter and lots more of that to come. Have a great mt. bike race this coming weekend as well!

Isaiah: 17:58, 49th place, 1st Mile: 5:30, Overall Pace: 5:47
Another excellent race Isaiah and proof positive again that you are well ahead of the game from the last two years. You ran 19:36 at Wenatchee in 2019 and didn’t break 18 until Hole in the Wall. This is a fast team with a capital ‘T’ and no matter where you land in our top seven you are contributing to something special. That awesome kick off the corner shows that you have strength and speed to burn. Yes, you can spread it out a little more over the race for sure, but still, 17:58 is nothing to sneeze at right now. Whenever you turn it on like that in the last 150m (because you do have an excellent kick) you put some major hurt on other teams. In a tight finish like this or Twilight or State, your ability to blow people away slices 10-15 points from any team score that we might get. Keep putting in the work. Keep throwing down at the end. All for one and one for all!

Jackson: 19:07, 103rd place, 1st Mile: 5:42, Overall Pace: 6:09
So glad to see you getting out and into the mix early. Like you said, that seemed like the necessary thing to do and you were right to follow that instinct. You managed the hurt just fine and that kind of thing will get better each week. You ran 21:12 here on essentially the same weekend during freshman year. You are right where you need to be and racing with the guts and instinct of a junior. We are a fast team and you are a big part of making this team as deep and hard to beat as possible. We have a real shot at being one of the top teams in the state this year and I hope that you are excited to make that happen!