Liberty Bell XC: Okanogan Invite (MS)

Okanogan Invite – 9/20/2022

Course Length – 1.5 miles

General Notes – The course runs on a golf course with lots of short grass and the occasional gravel/pavement crossing. There is one large hill right at the one-mile mark which athletes go up and down – it can get pretty fast coming down the hill! Overall, the weather was not too hot but not too cool. There were some issues recording splits and some people didn’t get their finishing time recorded. That happens! Everyone raced really hard, and hopefully it was fun! As a heads up, with everyone being in the same race, it was a bit more difficult to get individual pictures of everyone. Some of you have the same pictures! Also, there were some issues with splits and finishing times, which is why some of you don't have everything.

The Liberty Bell Girls won as a team with19 points. Royal was 2nd with 46 points. There were 44 athletes and 3 scoring teams in the race.

Liberty Bell Boys placed 2nd with a score of 43. Royal won with a score of 31. There were 55 athletes and 5 scoring teams in the race.

Maren – ½ mile: 3:27. One mile: 7:28. Finish: 11:02, 8th place. Average: 7:21.

Nice job! Although it was a little hotter than it has been and you weren’t feeling spry beforehand, I still think you did an excellent job of getting after it and bringing a lot of heart to the race. The hill in this course is definitely a tricky section but you didn’t let it discourage you or hold you back which is awesome! That shows a lot of strength!

Alida – ½ mile: 3:56. One mile: 8:36. Finish: 12:24, 21st place. Average: 8:16.

Wow, even if you weren’t feeling your best going into the race, you still ran your first mile over 30 seconds faster this year than last year at this race! Plus, you were able to get faster throughout the second part of this race, your average mile being faster than your mile time. That shows a lot of improvement and grit. It also makes me feel confident that you are strong and I hope it can do the same for you. Keep your head up!

Charlotte – ½ mile: 3:54. One mile: 8:47. Finish: 12:49, 24th place. Average: 8:32.

Congrats on your first XC race! It was fantastic to see you out there smiling and working hard. You did a great job of going out with teammates and then trying to find your own pace - it can be tricky at first but it will get easier with more practice. With a big hill up to the mile marker, I know that it was hard but I also know that you had fun and you did an awesome job!

Sutherland – ½ mile: 4:11. One mile: 9:29. Finish: 13:26, 29th place. Average: 8:57.

Awesome first XC race. That hill was tough but you kept going. You took advantage of the downhill and flat finish to run faster the last ½ mile than you did the first ½ mile! Great way to complete a race. You will only get stronger as the season continues.

Asher – ½ mile: 5:26. One mile: 12:42. Finish: 17:39, 39th place. Average: 11:46.

First race of the season and you competed hard. When the hill got tough you slowed but never stopped moving (and you gave a smile to the coaches taking splits at the mile). Racing after an illness is tough and you will only get better as the season progresses.

Sam – ½ mile: 3:15. One mile: 7:03.

All your hard work is adding up and paying off. I know this course holds some worries from last year but you faced them head on and raced really well! It’s hard going into a race not feeling super energized but you still did an awesome job running with your teammates and competing. Your mile time was about the same as last weekend but this mile has a bigger hill which means you are running strong and determined!

Hugo – ½ mile: 3:15. One mile: 7:06. Finish: 10:30, 16th place. Average: 7:00.

Off to a great start! That uphill is long but you tackled it well and ran your first mile over 30 seconds faster than last year at this race. I think you did an excellent job of going into this race with a positive mindset which can help with the harder parts of racing. Plus, it’s always easier and more fun to race with your teammates and you did a great job of doing just that!

Benji – ½ mile: 3:27. One mile: 7:33. Finish: 10:44, 19th place. Average: 7:09.

Great effort and you looked strong the entire race. Your pace was excellent and you spaced out your effort well. Middle half mile, with the big hill, was expected to be a little slower and you finished with a strong last half mile. Awesome race for this early in the season.

Kai – ½ mile: 3:40. Finish: 11:59, 29th place. Average: 7:59.

Solid effort and great running with teammates. You started a few seconds faster in the first ½ mile than at Wenatchee and then kept up the same steady effort level throughout the rest of the race. Great running so early in the season.

Cassius – ½ mile: 3:57. One mile: 9:00. Finish: 13:08, 35th place. Average: 8:45.

Tough to come back so quickly from your great effort in Wenatchee but you stuck to it and gave a solid race effort. That hill is tough! Keep up the work effort in practice and you will continue to get better and better (fresher legs will help too).