GIRLS OVERALL: 97 finishers. Team 4th place with 102 points. Wenatchee (30), Chiwana (63), and Cascade (98), ahead of us. Enumclaw (2A) just behind us with 104 points. We’re becoming a great, tight pack and gaining confidence every week. I think we might surprise some people at the end of the season. Stay healthy and get good sleep – you’ve got the chance to do some big things!
Leki: 18:43.8, 2nd place. 1st Mile: 6:31, Overall Pace: 6:41
You did such an excellent job racing! Great job putting yourself in a good but not crazy position up the hill the first time, and then really nice patient and confident work through the first mile. You totally opened up by mile 2 and you finished so strong. This is an excellent time – the only person I can find from Liberty Bell in recent history who has run faster is Novie. You’re adding more and more good experiences that will make for a great day later this season.
Samra: 20:51:1, 21st place. 1st Mile: 7:06, Overall Pace: 7:27
You picked up right where you left off. Terrific effort to put the nerves aside and just race. You were so fierce out there – always in a big pack finding your rhythm and making sure you stayed with the group. Excellent job using the arms and really gliding up the hill. I know it was hard but you truly made it look rather effortless. So glad you are back and ready for the last part of the season. You’re going to start feeling really fast really soon.
Sandra: 21:13.6, 28th place. 1st Mile: 7:06, Overall Pace: 7:35
You have always been so tenacious and you brought the big bold courage again this race. You’ve had a big week with lots of time sitting on buses, so I know your legs didn’t exactly feel fresh and ready to go. You were well-positioned in the race early on and then you lost a little bit of contact with the pack you were with there in the middle. But, you stayed calm and confident and you rallied for a really excellent last ¾ of a mile with a terrific downhill and that signature determination to the finish. Consider this a reminder that you can do hard things.
Alida: 21:18.8, 29th place. 1st Mile: 7:15, Overall Pace: 7:36
We knew you liked hills, but wow! You really like hills. Your pace overall was more than 11 seconds per mile faster than last week on our relatively flat home course. You are one of the few runners who can say that! This means to me that you just need to believe in yourself and think good thoughts – trust that you can feel good even when it hurts. Fantastic job using your arms and just pushing on the ups and also remembering to run the downs. This should be a big confidence booster for you.
Ingrid: 21:59.9, 33rd place. 1st Mile: 7:21, Overall Pace: 7:51
You also actually ran a faster overall pace this week compared to last week–which is terrific. I’m glad you are starting to feel better from the cold and I think at districts you are going to feel even better. And with a little rest before State…my oh my. You are going to have a big end of season. I appreciate that you went out big in this race – but the quick early pace might have left your legs a little worn out for that first back hill section. Once again, though, you remained quite composed and you never gave up. That’s what we need from you – and with you running with confidence, we’re a very good team!
Yasmin: 26:27.8, 71st place. 1st Mile: 8:48, Overall Pace: 9:27
It was so much fun to watch you come around the corner and out of the woods on the last downhill and then transition into truly powering up that hill for one last time. You were flying. So great to see your determination and your racing – you gave the girl from Granite Falls a real race effort there at the end. That is a really really hard course and you did it–and worked hard the whole way. Congratulations!
BOYS VARSITY: - 106 runners. 9th place of 15 teams… but with a healthy Will and Aksel running, we would have been in around 100+ points and in a very tight race for the 3rd/4th spot with Cascade and Cashmere. This is all hypothetical, of course, and in our next two scoring meets at District and State we have to put those hypotheticals into reality, but the pieces are here and coming into form! Cascade was missing Brayden Anderson and Jasper Bard, so it was an on/off day for many.
Dexter: 14:58.7, 2nd place, 1st Mile: 5:04, 2nd Mile, 5:28 (10:32), Overall Pace: 5:21
Steady and tough once again. Some fine downhill running and a consistent gap to Enumclaw just about every place that I saw you. Super glad that he could push you along to another excellent time that should once again translate into sub-16 effort number three on the year. Just a little more work to do with sharpening. We will work some hills one more time just for practice, but some of that up and down rhythm at Leavenworth will translate to State – albeit no hill quite so long or steep. Congrats on another fine race!
Tristan: 17:50.7, 33rd place, 1st Mile: 6:05, 2nd Mile, 6:23 (12:28), Overall Pace: 6:22
An excellent effort on a really tough course! You were ahead of a Cascade runner who ran 19:06 at Twilight, and you are for sure knocking on the door of sub-nineteen performance when it comes to our District meet. On the hill after mile two you did an excellent job of getting your arms into the mix, and likewise on the first lap climb to the mile you did well to push the pace as you and Kyler started the climb. Keep practicing that little bit of sling-shot mentality on our hill work this week as well as time-trialing on Friday night. An even bigger breakthrough is coming and you are strong enough to make it happen. PS Read Kyler’s and George’s note for some extra context/info.
Kyler: 18:17.9, 46th place, 1st Mile: 6:06, 2nd Mile, 6:39 (12:45), Overall Pace: 6:32
On a MUCH harder course, you managed to still get out near the six-minute mark and to run a solid race even with the jarring turn and some hurtful hills. On a flatter course this is easily a low-19 effort and you have that kind of experience to look forward to in the next couple of weeks. Mentally positive. Mentally relaxed. Mentally excited to give it your all over these last few races of the senior year. Find your flow. Lead… and then be happy to follow if Tristan or George or anyone else takes a pull at the front. Remember your natural 400m form and let that stride and snappy turnover be a part of your 5k. It’s not quite as “quick” (obviously) but you can still find a quicker tempo (esp. without hills) to be relaxed and fast. You are just hunting Okanogan’s 4th and 5th. You don’t have to beat the world. For context, in recent years at Leavenworth, we have had runners go 18:35 to 17:53 and then go 18:48 to 18:11 at State. This is well within grasp of our pack. Have fun with it. Believe it! GRRR!!!
George: 18:58.3, 59th place, 1st Mile: 6:12, 2nd Mile, 6:58 (13:10), Overall Pace: 6:46
A little bit of a down day, but it was also a week where you were in and out a bit at practice. You are still looking so light and loose out there with little surges at different points throughout the race. The pack got separated early in this one, but Friday night on the track you guys can bunch it up and push each other to some awesome times. Sub 19 is still VERY much alive for you and this entire group at State. Soon enough we rest and sharpen up the speed!
Brodi: 19:04.8, 62nd place, 1st Mile: 6:28, 2nd Mile, 6:57 (13:25), Overall Pace: 6:49
Another solid race and you closed this one down even better than your teammates just ahead. It was easy to get a little bit nervous about the hills (everyone was) but you showed once again in knocking down a faster fina .8 miles that you are stronger at the end and still do an excellent job of pacing yourself early so that you don’t blow up. That being said, on Friday let’s experiment. Tuck in close to the pack and let them pull you for as long as they can. Don’t think at all. Just run. Let them do the work :) It’s a mile shorter than we race, so we’re going to push that first mile and see what happens. Almost in the taper phase and you will like how that feels!
BOYS JV: - 76 runners total. 5th out of 7 teams with 127 points. Wenatchee (20), Cashmere (68), Enumclaw (85, and Chiwana (90) ahead of us. No other B school division was even able to field a JV team, so a very nice job in getting out there and representing the smaller schools!
Liam: 18:45.8*, (19:34.8), 12th?, 1st Mile: 6:35, 2nd Mile: 6:57 (13:32), Overall: 6:42* (7:00)
A little slower on the first mile, obviously with the hills, but you put in some EXCELLENT effort to run a 6:35, and you ran a super competitive second half with some extra motivation from the Orlo “race within the race.” After an effort like that, I 100% KNOW that can break 21 and likely even 20:45 as we taper for that final 5k of the year at Districts! Keep up the great work, and a little bit of rest is on the way soon.
Orlo: 18:45.6*, (19:35.2), 13th?, 1st Mile: 6:47, 2nd Mile: 6:45 (13:32), Overall: 6:42* (7:00)
No matter how you slice it and no matter what time or place you ended up (I will explain at practice), THIS was a breakout race! Congrats on a good one Orlo, and one where you definitely raced the whole way through! You started faster than you did at home, and you steadily notched your pace down in the second mile and very possibly all the way through the race. Your presence and effort also pushed your teammate to an excellent race of his own and you have now earned the reward of getting to keep up with each other in practice as well. Enjoy!
LIAM & ORLO 2.0: After some finish video confirmation from Aksel, you all were 100% about 5 seconds behind the runner from Thorpe - just like in the results. That guy ran 19:44 at our home meet (compared to 21:09 and 22:11) and 9:54 at Ellensburg (compared to 10:49 & 11:13). You two ABSOLUTELY crushed it on that final .8 mile!!! Truly, in the heat of competition - bound and determined to beat each other - you pretty much set aside any and all worries about pain or speed or hills or whatever. You are stronger than you even know and that was some fine and FIERCE kind of racing. Throw away those question mark times from above. 18:45s it is. Congrats!!!!
Benji: 21:16.9, 41st place, 1st Mile: 7:09 , 2nd Mile: 7:52 (15:01), Overall Pace: 7:36
Congrats on another good race, Benji, and one as well where your overall pace was really pretty close to what you ran at home – even with all of those hills. You got out faster that you did last weekend, and you are getting more and more steady and confident out there through the middle of the race. You leaned into those downhills – running faster in those sections then almost anyone around you, and I can’t wait to see you set a new 5k PR when we run again at home in two weeks!
Hunter: 23:19.7, 60th place, 1st Mile: 8:01, 2nd Mile: 8:12 (16:13), Overall Pace: 8:20
All around a race very much affected by the preparation… Really tough and gritty to make this happen when you weren’t feeling so great, Hunter, but let’s stick to the plan for the next two races so that you can maximize your opportunities for success. You admitted that your “warm-up” was a little too tiring… so let’s build on that and try to set a new high bar for preparation and performance in the next two weeks. You are totally capable of a new 5k PR at home on 10/28. The race on Friday will be a good one to get back on that 7 min mile plan for a much shorter race. I know that your legs have been hurting a bit and that you are coming off of a cold, so play it smart and prepare without overextending :)
Finn: 23:56.6, 62nd place, 1st Mile: 8:09, 2nd Mile: 8:59 (17:08), Overall Pace: 8:33
Congrats again, Finn on another race of finding a quick early pace and then working hard to the finish. That 8 min opening mile (or even a little faster) is definitely within your grasp, and it will be good to practice that again for our 2mi time trial on the track this weekend. So much good speed in the arms and legs over these past several weeks of practice. Keep finding ways to put in little surges early and then again to break up the course in little sections later on. Another sub-25 performance is definitely possible for you at home on 10/28!
Omar: 30:07, 73rd place, 1st Mile: 9:10, 2nd Mile: 12:02 (21:12) Overall Pace: 10:45
Not a fun one out there, Omar, but once again your toughness is inspired. Some good pacing early and a really fine mile considering the hill, but the sum total of the downs and the ankle pain made this one a particular challenge. I suspect that being on your feet all day in Bellingham on Friday was not a helpful scenario either. A few more days of work and then a taper for the final meet. Let’s check in today about something a little lighter and shorter but one more hill workout on Tuesday before we back it down. GRRR!
Will & Aksel
Resting up and getting better! Thanks very much for your help with mile splits and warmups. I miss having your excellent racing examples out there on the course, but this was a good one to rest so that we can roll into the rest of the season as best as we can be. It’s going to be a wild ride to the finish. Let’s make the most of the days that we have left! PS Nice tree drawing on the split sheet :)
Calvin & Sam
Looking forward to having both of you back in the mix as well. Heal the foot and hunt the elk. Your team awaits!