League Championships - 10.24.15

LIBERTY BELL XC

Location: Liberty Bell High School, Winthrop, WA          Date: 10.24.15
Distance: 3.1mi               Conditions: Low-mid 50’s. Partly sunny and GRRReat!

Comments: Thank you to all of the volunteers - we could not have hosted such a smooth and seamless meet without you. And thanks as well to the MANY that came out to cheer. It was really fun to have so many folks out on the course and at the finish. The kids raced to the occasion and kicked off the Championship part of the season in style!

GIRLS - 3.1mi. 15pts and League Champs!

Observation 1: Excitement, perfect running temps/conditions, and the race went out quick! EVERYONE was faster than usual in the first mile, but we held tough though the middle and had one of our best meets of the year. Expect similar things, and maybe a bit less fast to start this week in Wenatchee. We will be sharp and ready to roll! Observation 2: Great sprint drills! The best of the year. Keep that up the next two weekends and Sarah will be proud indeed! Sage, a solid effort even being ill. We need you back! Rest and recover. Its “one direction” from here to State! Larkin, a great fast start. It hurt a little bit that second mile, but if we can qualify ourselves to Pasco you will have a blast in racing your fastest 5k of the year at State! Johanna, 25 minutes. Knocking on the door! Nice job getting out a little quicker and holding it. Strong! 45 sec. per mile faster than Leavenworth! Ava: Nothing wrong with a race pace still 10 sec. faster than Leavenworth (similar in that sense to Cade, Emerson, Eli) but you compete out there every race — and its admirable to see you wanting more. It will happen! Districts will have basically the same kids and you can turn the tables on the girls from Riverside Christian and Lake Roosevelt. Be smart and tough as usual and you will have your race! The same for Icel, with an added congrats to a smooth and speedy effort at Leagues. The only person on the team to have a faster time at home as compared to any other 5k this year! Smart, tough, running, and you and Ava will have a BLAST passing girls in the second half at State! Ella, super confident out there and such a nice job pushing it into the second mile. Summer hours pay huge dividends in just that situation. As you opened even more of a gap past the biathlon range, Tonasket’s first runner did not have the late race strength to reel you back in. And Athena, congrats on race victory No. 2! Awesome to have you and Ella together to start and your ability to keep accelerating into that final mile is helpful to Ella as well. I’m guessing that things will play out in similar fashion this weekend in Wenatchee, with a little extra advantage as later miles will be a little faster with longer straightaways and less tight/trail conditions. Congrats to all on the first place team finish!

BOYS - 3.1mi. 37pts and League Champs!

Not quite so fast a start as the girl’s race, but as a group, this was our fastest over all “pace” of the year. EVERYONE was under 8 minutes per mile, and this is a real treat as we’ve had lots of variation in that 7:55-8:11 range for an average split. In accomplishing this at Leagues, I would expect to see a similar result on an even faster course next weekend! Ben, congrats on the new course record and nice work in pushing the pace in the middle part of the race. Oren WILL try to shadow you in a closer way this coming weekend, so try to break up the Wenatchee race in attack-able chunks just like you did at home. Eli, we’ve talked, but a little stuck in no-man’s land out there with a fine result nonetheless. Keep that visual gap at the start a little loser this weekend and you’ll be in better striking distance to the front in the final mile. You’re on track to break 17min and a top 15 finish at State! Cade and Emerson, both in the ballpark of Eli’s time on this course from last year. Solid racing all around, and you can set your sights on breaking 18 in two weeks. Not to look past this weekend… but still, thinking about State will be part of the energy that pulls you to equally great races in Wenatchee. You guys BURIED the second runners for Tonasket and Brewster and Carter wasn’t far behind! And MR. DORNFELD, Nice! You are right in thick of it also finishing in front of 2nd place runners for every school but Bridgeport and Okanogan. Major props! And just so you know, Edgar Alcantara, one place in front of you, was running sub-11min 2miles last year in track. Keep that confidence! Peter, we talked as well, but so great to see you challenge that first mile in spitting distance to Carter. Tough running and every scoring (top 5) runner that you beat from other teams adds points to their totals — in this case a solid reason for our decisive win as you added + 1 to Brewster, +2 to Bridgeport, and +3 to Tonasket and Okanogan. Tim, good to have you back and running well - talking up a storm out there. You have experience with the course in Wenatchee so use that to your advantage. And Geza, you and Tim were BOTH in front of Tonasket’s 4th man! — right in the race and also helping swing that team scoring in important ways. Lock your sights on a similar spot this weekend and we are off to State! Lazo, strong and coming on! A very nice progression both in this race and in the last couple. A more aggressive fist mile for you and Cameron both, and still moving in the final mile. Encore performance please! And Cameron, second only to Can-Am for you in terms of pace and finish. After a more restful week you will have a kick to give in the last 800m. Roll the dice! And Simon, the same for you. A great group with Lazo and Cameron to start and hard fought on your part all the way through. Stay that course and you should find a little more life in your legs for the final stretch this weekend. Sam & Michael, great to see you picking up right where you’ve left it in workouts, and 7:20-7:30 is the right place for you to be at that first mile. Fight hard for that consistent 2nd and use each other to motivate when it gets a little quieter/farther from the crowds around 2miles this weekend. Zach, congrats on busting down the 8min barrier in a major way! By 7 sec. per mile no less! Hold tough on that second mile again this weekend and you always find a sweet kick to the finish!

Congratulations Junior High!

And thank you on an excellent season! Lots of smiles, bus songs, hair whipping ;) and fast racing over 8 short weeks. We'll hope to have you back next year and we'll see you sometime after State for the final banquet. GRRR!

Leavenworth - 10.10.15

Liberty Bell XC
Location: Leavenworth Ski Hill, Leavenworth, WA                          Date: 10.10.15
Distance: 1.4/2.8mi                Conditions: 60-65 degrees. Partly Cloudy with some hills.

Comments: Three races in 8 days for most of you, and even on tired legs we have no quit! I saw a LOT of kids walking on the long uphill in the woods, but not a single mountain lion jersey in the bunch. Across the board - and yes, that even means those who felt a little off - we should be proud of the grit on display and the mental toughness that it takes to run that course. Well done, well done, and the best is yet to come. PS Thank you to Dana Milani for several of these photos and to E.A. for taking a HUGE batch as well: http://www.weymullerphotography.com/gallery/Liberty-Bell-Cross-Country/G00007Fa5taoNGio

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS & BOYS - 1.4mi.

Sorry gang… despite several emails to the Icicle Creek middle school athletic director, no one is sending results :( The fact of the matter, however, is that we ran great with no big surprises. Top to bottom, girls to boys, you are an terrific group of middle school racers, and its been an excellent season — which only makes your coaches even more excited for the years ahead. I’ll be sorry to miss your last races in Cashmere, but get out fast (but smart) and run em’ into the ground!

GIRLS - 2.8mi. 165pts. 5th place out of 18 high school teams!

210 girls in the race and a starting line that was WAY more chaotic and crazy than State! From what we saw out there, you moved up smartly and we were definitely one of the better teams on that long hill in the woods. And running tough when no one’s really looking is GRRR! worthy running indeed. Johanna, tough running again and a great progression moving 23 places up through the crowded field. Sage, strong form in the later part of the race. Your strength in that 5th runner position — and keeping track of those Tonasket 4 & 5 (both of whom you beat this weekend) is definitely key for us in going to State. Mia, good job in finding a strategy again to get yourself start to finish! Ava, awesome lift in those legs and drive from the arms on the final hill. Do the same at State and you will be flying into the downhill finish! Icel, once again so steady and reliable in moving up through the pack. Aware that you’d lost Ava briefly, but right back on it and moving ahead. Plus, you can kick! Ella, congrats on the back-to-back racing — and on not skipping a beat even with two close races and the hillier course. Decisive again in the difference between your race and those of your fellow skiers from Cascade. And when you get just a wee bit more recovery going into State… Yes! And Athena, you may not like the hills, but you conquered them nonetheless. That, and you run the downs great. Not so steep a course at State, but the wide open fairways and rolling terrain will play to your strength in the second half — and to your excellent awareness of looking ahead to the next runners and moving up strong.



VARSITY BOYS - 2.8mi. 202pts. 6th overall out of 23 scoring teams.

Peter, if I may, gets top billing for the week. A nice performance in moving right back in front of the Tonasket 5/6/7. He was aware of their presence right from the start, and even if his place progression looks a little off, he was aware of an objective for the week and ran a gutsy race. Geza, keep your eye out at Leagues for Justin McDonald of Tonasket. You had him at Chelan but he stuck past you in the crowd this weekend. We know that you can get him again, and I’ll be sure to point him out before the starting gun at home. Carter, nearly 30 seconds faster than last year on this course, which is a similar margin to your time comparison at Can AM. Great if we can get you a little closer to Emerson in the next few weeks — and I think that we will — but you are definitely headed in the right direction compared to similar races last year. And that 5th runner spot is going to be key for us in the post-season. Emerson, maybe a drop off a bit in the 2nd mile, but I also may have counted wrong. You appeared to be holding ground well and I know that you closed in a tight race up the final hill. Having you in front of Tonasket no. 3 is spot on! Cade, three races in 8 days and you are on a roll. A little break this week, but then right back at it. Keep that rhythm in your stride and picture where you want to be at season’s end. Eli, another fine race and you are closing gaps every week. A great stretch of races and a well deserved week away from racing action. And Ben, we’ve already talked but this is one in the guts/workout column. 100% effort but not a 100% cooperation from the body. It happens. Keep your wits together and you are fine. And Of special note: After a race where you were not so pleased -- your grace under pressure in congratulating Hunter is a classy thing indeed.

JV BOYS - 2.8mi 254pts. 9th out of 19 teams.

194 kids in the race — so a big field and a nice team finish in 9th over all. Noted as well is the fact that our “average” pace is starting to look a lot like our opening mile — with just a few holdouts. For most of you dropping that just a bit more will come from holding pace just a little tighter in that second mile. Continue seeking how to strike that balance. Michael, fighting hard to hold off Tonasket up final hill and a strong response to looking just a bit tired at Chelan. Way to drop 12 spots in the final .8mi as well! Tim, nice to have you back. Stay on top of those grades so that we can keep you in the mix. Consistency is key from now through the end of the season — AND in fighting hard for that middle mile to move up even more in the pack. Keep it rolling in both the academics, the practices, and the races. Cameron, well done sir. Not much fall off at all from mile one to mile 2. Out just a little harder next race and then use that strength. You can definitely be out 5-10 seconds faster, and still hold on to a similar middle. In a crowded race like Leavenworth or State, 10-15 seconds could be 10-15 places! Lazo, a great finishing stretch, and the faster average says that you can try getting out a little faster still. Shoot for 7:15 or so on the flatter course at Leagues and you can ride that right along to an excellent finish with some home field advantage. Simon, bully effort with a sore leg and look at those balanced splits. Notice too that just a 4 second swing STILL has you passing nearly 30 kids start to finish. Steady as she goes! I know that you took the start a little easier to test the leg, but splits this even are terrific — especially on a hilly course. Practice looked good on Tuesday too. I hope the leg is feeling better. Ian, one of the racers who expressed some regrets this week, but you were right back at it on Tuesday. Good as well that you could identify the difference between feeling sharp on Tuesday and maybe a little flat on the weekend. Keep charging along as its been fun to watch you and Sam move as a team. Sam, great arms on the hills and REALLY looking fast and fluid in the workout on Tuesday. Keep an eye on Michael for the next few meets and he will pull you and Ian along to some nice finishes at Leagues. And Zach, MOVIN’ up that final hill! Your dad couldn’t even keep you in the picture frame for a photo, and its been really clear to us that you’ve been working hard on that turn over. A well-deserved Athlete of the Week Award!

A way ward coach out wandering. I was a LOT happier about the meet than I appear in this photo. That's just my tired face from chasing you all up and down this hills in the woods :)

Chelan Invitational - 10.6.15

Liberty Bell XC
Location: Chelan State Park - Chelan, WA                    Date: 10.6.15
Distance: 1.125mi/2.25 Conditions: 60 degrees. Cloudy. Great racing weather!

Comments: First word: An unknown distance… and its hilly! Race director says 2.4, but Craig’s GPS for the last three years measures it at 2.25. That being said, our average mile paces are a bit slower, but don’t give it a second thought. Regardless of distance, we raced the competition and the course against a “small but mighty” group of teams!

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS - 1.125mi.

A little more middle school action at Chelan and we continue to impress. We will see most of these teams (and more!) again this weekend, so stay tuned for some hilly fun at the Leavenworth ski hill. I did NOT get a good view of the race — except for some of the finish and the uphill from the beach. Craig said that everyone worked really well up the boat launch hill and into the mile at the top of the pavement — and I saw some strong kicks in the home stretch from everyone in the group as well. Annika, 8:21 for an average mile. Awesome! Eva, so nice to see you free of side aches for two races in a row, and kicking it in at the finish. Lena, looking much more fluid today and racing well through the middle after hill number one. Lindsay, strong on the hills and I could tell you liked the course. Liv, a great kick to the finish, with a good mark from Cashmere to pull you even closer to Rivers and Gretta — who ran great together for the second week in a row. Novie, focused and strong on the first uphill, and you will have fun with the same on a slightly longer course and more terrain this coming weekend.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS - 1.125mi.



Excellent arm drive and an “attack the hill” approach up the beach from Aidan and Travis especially. Aidan, keep that quicker tempo going with slight modification over the flats and downhills and Travis, keep that eye on Ian as you two are moving well together even if you get a little spread apart. Ian just keeps smiling out there… so he may need to run with a weight vest or something, but whatever is happening keep up the good work! Walker, two things: Good race awareness when your competition from Cashmere didn’t know what to do up the hill from the beach. You kept the right line and didn’t let his lack of knowledge ruffle you at all. Plus, you hung on tough and timed that lunge for the line to perfection. Erick, congrats on race no. 2. Your early pace had you out in a good spot and you hung on well up the final hill. Awesome to have you and Aidan and Andrew suddenly less than 30 seconds apart! Yes, we’ve raced farther, but this was a hard, hilly course and you guys all dropped serious time from your average paces!

JV GIRLS - 2.26mi



Johanna, congratulations on your win :) The focus in your face was evident throughout, and you did well to push Zach on that second lap too - including a word or two of encouragement on the uphill off the beach. Larkin, a great race as well. So nice to see you in the zone without any worries about your breathing, and a great kick to close the gap on those two girls from Cascade at the end. Try another little surge like that a time or two in the middle part of the race to stay connected to other groups of runners. There is strength in numbers even if they happen to be from other teams!



JV BOYS - 2.26mi



Zach, another fine kick my friend! Relaxed but tall the upper body a bit more mid-race and think about flow. Michael, a bit of an off race but you will bounce back. Keep that 7:15-7:20 pace first mile in mind. You totally can, and you want to be up there just a bit more to lock in on a good position mid-race. Ian, another fine piece of work. You and Sam, are a good grouping, but both still have loads of lanky stride to give over the course of a race. Keep those upper body postures tall and strong to get even more from the effort of your arms and legs. Lazo, excellent form, but mix it up a bit mid-race. You are right in the thick of it in terms of numbers — surrounded by kids from other teams — and this is great. Get fierce, and race those boys just a little earlier. You looked super comfortable and we know that you’re strong as evidenced in your last 400m. Put a little hurt on those around you earlier and you will hang longer and stronger than you think. Cameron, great arms on the uphill climbs and an obvious acceleration past other runners each time up that hill. Watch that forward lean however! Test that strength a little more at the start and you and Simon will keep each other company for more of the race to the finish. And Simon, nice work getting yourself in contention early. Just like Peter, and Ben you’re still pulling out of the crud, and felt a little more tried in that last half mile. Another week and your front end efforts will pay off bigger at the end. 

GIRLS - 2.25mi. 41pts. 1st place over Cashmere and Tonasket.

Our first real look at Tonasket, and we are definitely in the mix for a trip to State. In a duel meet scoring (between our two teams only - like what will happen at Districts) we still beat Tonasket 23 to 32. They were without their usual no. 5 runner (and we didn’t run a complete 7) but even with their usual no. 5, we still should have won. Now they know what we’re really about, and we will race them at least 2 more time before the State qualifier. Fun stuff! Athena and Ella, very nice racing. Excellent intensity and focus on the uphill from the beach and it was great to see you running side-by-side and moving up so well. You did put yourself in a bit of a hole that first 800m, but it obviously worked out, and you’ll be even better off with more time to move up in a longer race. Icel, great job again in starting that kick when you did. Ava had no choice but to move as well and you are both within striking distance of Tonasket no. 2 — especially if you can be out just 10 seconds faster and have a longer race to run. It will be more obvious where she’s at in League and District meets, but we’ll try to give you an idea in the crowded race at Leavenworth this weekend. And Sage, you will actually like the crowd this weekend! LOTS of girls to race in the second half and be sure to use that focus when you can make it count the most — bridging gaps to other runners when it gets tough, or in kicking them down at the end.



VARSITY BOYS - 2.25mi. 68pts. 3rd place behind Cascade and Cashmere.



Cade and Emerson, excellent kicks! Eli, super solid after a big race in Kettle Falls. And Geza and Ben, welcome back! Another good outing - and a good race/interval workout for sure. Even with Carter unable to make it, we did well in a competitive field. Just like the Tonasket girls however, Tonasket and Brewster are going to make us earn it! Brewster has a tighter grouping 2-5 and both teams placed 7 runners before our 6th — so we need to keep our eyes on the blue/gold and red/white uniforms this week in Leavenworth. RACE AWARENESS is a key focus over the next several weeks. Where am I? Where are they? Am I moving up? How much race is left? etc. Peter, for example had a fine race while still bouncing back from illness, but did he know that he was right behind Tonasket’s 5, 6, and 7th runners? I’m guessing ‘yes’ but its easy to get caught up in the hurt of a hill or speed of an opening mile.

This weekend in Leavenworth, we’re going to ask. Who did you see? Who did you pass? Who did you not quite pass? We can see some of it, but you all get to practice seeing even more. Its part of good racing and it will definitely help. Brewster and Tonasket both get out with a little quicker than we do - which is fine - but we have to keep them closer to maintain contact and to give ourselves a better chance at passing them later on. Everyone should take a measure of the competition - both at the start and in the opening mile or at certain places where visibility is better. Look for key uniforms, kids you recognize etc. Its good stuff all around. Not only can it give you an added jolt of mid-race motivation, but it keeps your brain active and engaged -pulling you along to running fast with a purpose. Good job again to all. Keep it fast, fun, and smart!

Can-Am Invitational - 10.3.15

Liberty Bell XC

Location: Kettle Falls State Park - Colville, WA           Date: 10.3.15
Distance: 1.5mi/3.1mi. Conditions: 65 degrees. Sunny with light wind.

Comments: The Can-Am race is quickly becoming a favorite of our kids and despite the early departure and a longish drive, we raced well again on a course far from home. Things get a little easier for spectators from here on out — with races this week in Chelan and Leavenworth, followed by Cashmere and then the League Championships at home on Oct. 24th. A big thank you to all of the parents that have been making early morning drives to place far afield. Your kids are doing great and your support is much appreciated.

MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS - 1.5mi. 17pts. 1st place.



Another week and another first place finish for the middle school lassie lions. A near perfect score in one of our more completive middle school races of the year - with Novie running hard from the front and Annika having her own best race of the year as well. Novie, great arms and good intensity throughout. Leavenworth this weekend is going to be even more crowded, competitive (I think) and fun! Plus, you and Rivers especially are going to love the hills. Rivers and Gretta, some fine running as well, but see what you can do to run a little more together in the races this coming week. Talk, trade places a bit, and encourage each other in the early going. A group will naturally break up later, but let’s experiment a bit with some group tactics early on. And Liv, you may benefit from that as well. That being said, things spread out early this week (probably the sand) and you looked nice and relaxed with a good eye on Rivers and Gretta just ahead. Even running mostly on your own, you were definitely thinking of it like a group, and PS — I got a good photo of your “smile for the camera” race face at the end! Lindsay, tough running as well on a harder course. Good arm carriage throughout, and I could see those arms helping to drive your legs in the final 400m through the sand and up the hill. Eva, nice and loose — a good open stride. You have found your natural form and looked much more comfortable without any bothersome side-stitches etc. Lena - a little under the weather and feeling it in the lungs. Still, good tall running in the final stretch, and you wound things up for a fine kick at the end. And Annika, like I said earlier, your best race of the year. Predictable to some degree by your great practices earlier in the week. Race week no. 4 and you are hitting a really good stride. Good arms and a good active legs. Racing people all the way to the finish and a really good job!

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS - 1.5mi. 33pts. 1st place.



Congrats to the middle school boys as well for their own 1st place team finish. Walker, hard from the start was your goal, and you ran it that way for sure! Even when you’re feeling zapped at the end make sure you challenge those “sit and kick” guys for at least a stride or three. You were definitely stronger than that guy up the final hill and into the turn. Sometimes, when you push back just a little longer… then their game of cat and mouse falls apart faster than you think :) Ian - smooth, fast, and relaxed. Your approach to running will take you far — especially when you get to challenge a little longer distance in another couple of years. Travis, good work again as well. Maybe a little leg-weary out of the sand, but you ran strong even without your usual mid-race company and did great to hold that 6th position into the finish. A great kick and strong final uphill as well, you’re going to love the hills in Leavenworth! Andrew - smooth and strong again even though we know that you were a little bummed about the finish. Still, they gave you the last second edge for 11th and your willingness to get out fast and fight through the middle of the race is impressive! Erick, congrats on your first race of the season! A few more races to find a good starting pace, but you did great today and a strong middle to end of the race. And Aidan, good racing again on a much tougher course than Manson. Your kick is strong because you get your arms involved. Try to use those arms to open up the stride a little more mid-race, and you will see those time dropping nicely in the last few races of the year.

JV BOYS - 3.1mi. 114pts. 6th place.

Simon, a strong rebound from illness just like Peter, and you are right back in the thick our 5th-9th place boys with a good showing on a tough course. You seem to like that 6:40-6:45 range for an opening mile, and as the season builds you will have more left at the end AND be able to tolerate a 6:30 to 6:35 opening mile. Lazo, nice moving up throughout the race. A shorter course (2.4 miles) in Chelan might be a good chance to try that harder 1st mile and then to see how well you hang. Another step in the right direction with your pace compatible to last week’s on a harder course. Michael, love the consistency of those first two miles. Let’s keep 7:15 in mind for another week or two and focus on mile three. Go after people from the two mile as if you were thinking about the finish. You are stronger than you know and if you get things moving just a little earlier, then momentum will carry you home with some significant chunks of time following in your wake. Ian - BOOM! No idea where that came from, but you were racing! Actually, this was evidenced a bit this past week in your workout on Thursday afternoon. Good arm tempo to drive the legs, and you just looked in the zone from start to finish. A harder start than usual put you in good company to compete in that middle part of the race. Zach, spot on with your first mile just under 8 minutes this week. A tough, sandy, final mile, but hang with that approach and keep driving for the finish in that last third. You will hit that 7:50-7:55 race pace average before year’s end!



GIRLS - 3.1mi. 83pts. 3rd place.



And the scoring girls team streak continues :) After a prolonged week of “the crud” Larkin and Johanna will hopefully join us again next week. And Ella no doubt rocked the SATs along with Ben and Geza. On the running side, things are looking nice for Liberty Bell Girls XC. Week-to-week we are closing time gaps on the competition, gaining race experience, and experimenting with race plans and strategies to help us to run our best in another few weeks. Its definitely working ladies, and you should be excited about your efforts! Athena, strong again and getting so close to Shania from Republic. This is putting you near a “podium class” of finishers on the State level, and your teammates are none too far behind. Awesome! Another opportunity this week with Erin Mullins from Cascade and the girls from Tonasket to challenge that first mile and to keep running with an eye on the leaders near the end of the race. Icel and Ava aka “dynamic duo” picture-perfect group running and a finishing kick from the bridge to the line that was as strong as anyone on the course — except for maybe Mia and Sage! When we can run tough through the middle AND still finish strong after that sandy 3rd mile, we are in a great place. Same to be said for Mia and Sage. Congrats to Mia on race no. 2 and excellent work in crafting a successful race plan. Teamwork rocks! - as we may have said before :) And Sage, right there again with the girl from Republic. We see Tonasket this week and you will have good matches there as well for racing in the final two miles.



VARSITY BOYS - 3.1mi. 146pts. 6th place.

No Ben and Geza today but we still had a curly blond running point for the mountains lions in the form of Eli Nielsen. Eli, a gusty race. Matching Omak’s Israel Escamilla step-for-step until the final 200m and then opening up for the kick worked incredibly well. You mentioned his mid-race surges — which you also wisely matched — hence the 5:29 middle mile! Your strength and mental toughness helped you both in out kicking the competition AND in recovering from the sand and a tough mid-race battle to still finish strong. Cade, welcome to the racing! Great to have you out there and its clear that you like to run. Solid opening effort, and impressive too for you to bring that closing mile right back down to the ballpark of your opening. Fewer folks to race at that point, but you were able to focus on something enough to move forward steady and to hold your ground in both the placing and the pace. Emerson, thank you for doing well to pace Cade through the middle part of the race. Know that you can run that sub-6 average in races ahead, but that combo of a quick middle mile plus the sand does take a little life out of the legs. Mid-race tempo looked good and a fine finishing kick as well. Carter, your stride/usual cadence do you no favors on this sandy course. Love the opening two miles being consistent, and you will feel some life in those legs for the end again on a firmer surface. Peter, welcome back. Your plan to go out reserved didn’t seem to happen from my vantage point (IE faster than advertised) but it was clear that you’d found a sweet spot and you did great to run in a comfort zone and still move up. Even better weeks ahead as you pull clear of sickness and fatigue. Glad that you had fun running in the spikes! Tim, still a bomber kick and your focus in that last 400m is fierce! Would LOVE to see you find some surge opportunities mid-race to knock that overall time down another 20+ seconds. You can do it. And Cameron, congrats on your first-ever varsity XC race. A solid effort in a tough field. You’re a strong kid. On a non-sandy course, if we can get you out just a little faster in the first mile then you will hold tough through the middle to end but knock another 15-20 seconds from your overall time.