NCR Moses Lake Meet #1 - 2/27/21
RACE COURSE: Blue Heron Park. 2 miles. 49 degrees and sunny. A pretty great day for the first official XC meet in 15 or 16 months :)
BIG THANKS: A huge thanks to all of the kids who were able to run, for bus driver Robert for getting us to and from the meet, and to everyone who has been working so hard to navigate this tricky and trying and difficult year. We ran a XC meet, people, and it was grand!
LIVE STREAM! As a bonus element, some of our races will be live-streamed :) XC’s never felt more hip and awesome! Use the links below for last Saturday’s event and Michael will send out future links for meet broadcasts as well.
HS GIRLS: 2mi. 19 Finishers. It was SO AWESOME to have Leki and Sandra give such great efforts in their first-ever high school XC races and, undoubtedly, in the first XC race they've ever run in February! It was also SO AWESOME to see grass and run ice-free and have the sun shining the whole way. The course was great, everyone had someone to run with, and both Leki and Sandra ran strong and confidently. It was a great kick-off to this most unusual season!
Leki: 13:34, 1st place. First mile, 6:41 - 6:47 pace.
Congratulations, Leki! What an impressive opening high school performance. You were calm, cool, and collected on the starting line and I even saw you crack a small smile at the "check-in with myself spot" we designated after the big downhill about 800 meters in. Such smart racing -- you did the right thing to go out with the lead pack but to just let them do the work for a bit and keep your mind blank. You used the long gradual downhill to move up and then you took the lead just after the mile with a statement move -- going into the curvy section you made the pass and put the distance on. From there on out, I know you were working hard, but you made it look easy. Excellent!
Sandra: 17:46, 12th place, First mile 8:50 - 8:53 pace
Congratulations, Sandra! You are one tough racer and you opened your high school XC career with a really solid run. You made a couple of excellent racing moves. You got out in a good position, controlled and aware. By about half way through the first lap, you set your sights on the pack of 3 Ephrata runners running just a bit ahead of you. You did such an excellent job being patient and you used that long gradual downhill to break up their pack. By the start of the second lap, I could tell you were feeling good and then, oh my....that last gradual downhill and finish were all out. You were using your arms so well and you had so many gears left. I can tell you are going to love 5K! Can't wait to watch you race again next week.
HS BOYS: 2mi. 49 Finishers. Rust buster! Like Sarah mentions above, PR’s all around for February XC races, and let’s cross our fingers that it’s a lifetime PR that you cherish forever. A more serious ‘thank you’ for all of the great efforts out there. Not only in your racing and preparation, but in stepping through this entire process from last summer’s covid practices, to this fall’s time trial routine, to now our first official return to the sport that we all have missed. It was a good day! It’s excellent to share some sun and warm up routines and snowless grass with all of you. This season is laying serious foundations on which to build, continue, and elevate the Liberty Bell XC tradition. GRRR!
PS Everyone take a minute today to tell Sarah 2 positive things from the race and 1 thing that you know you want to work on.
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Will: 12:05, 8th place. First mile 5:49-ish - 6:03 pace
Congrats on your HS XC debut! Super impressed with your early patience and then as well with your willingness to move in that second lap to track Miguel Nunez from Ovoville. He went pretty strong but you didn’t overreact. You gave chase when it mattered most to create some separation from the rest of the group, and you hung in with the Moses Lake kids after the hill and made ‘em work a bit across those flats and into the final hill. Your later race fitness and finishing kick will come soon enough. Super glad to have you finally a part of the HS squad.
**It would appear from the results that several Ephrata runners from wave #2 were able to move up through the ranks. Now that we’ve got this first race under our belts it should be more clear who should be in what sort of wave. It’s my sincere hope that in future races wave one will give a more realistic glimpse of the competition. There will always of course be a runner or two who emerges from a deeper wave - especially as we end up with larger fields - but there seemed to be a lot of Ephrata folks in wave 2 that should have been in wave 1. It will get better.
Congrats on your HS XC debut! Super impressed with your early patience and then as well with your willingness to move in that second lap to track Miguel Nunez from Ovoville. He went pretty strong but you didn’t overreact. You gave chase when it mattered most to create some separation from the rest of the group, and you hung in with the Moses Lake kids after the hill and made ‘em work a bit across those flats and into the final hill. Your later race fitness and finishing kick will come soon enough. Super glad to have you finally a part of the HS squad.
**It would appear from the results that several Ephrata runners from wave #2 were able to move up through the ranks. Now that we’ve got this first race under our belts it should be more clear who should be in what sort of wave. It’s my sincere hope that in future races wave one will give a more realistic glimpse of the competition. There will always of course be a runner or two who emerges from a deeper wave - especially as we end up with larger fields - but there seemed to be a lot of Ephrata folks in wave 2 that should have been in wave 1. It will get better.
Isaiah: 13:08, 13th place. 1st mile 6:08-ish - 6:34 pace.
Great job in the return to racing, and in fighting through that lower back pain as the race progressed. It was excellent to see you out there again and like you said a few weeks back this is all about getting into a routine and gaining speed and endurance back for track -- and next fall! Keep reminding yourself this week that quick arms will set the rhythm for your legs. Think light, springy and quick off the ground with all of that good energy moving right through your core and into your legs.
Kyler: 13:50, 21st place. 1st mile - 6:490-ish - 6:55 pace.
Congrats as well Kyler on your HS debut! You threw yourself into the mix as well, and your 13:50 time was quicker than some of the 2mi fall races on the track! You looked strong and ran tall. You found a good spot early -- not shy at all about being in the first wave and you earned a spot well into the upper half of a field with nearly 50 kids. Let’s be a little cautious this week on the miles. Talk to Sarah today about your hip/knee and use some ice at home 1-2 times per day plus lots of good stretching and warm-up activity. Stay quiet and quick on the midfoot when we’re running faster this week, but also think about staying tall on the easy days. Great job Kyler, or should I say, Gucci Kangaroo!
Congrats as well Kyler on your HS debut! You threw yourself into the mix as well, and your 13:50 time was quicker than some of the 2mi fall races on the track! You looked strong and ran tall. You found a good spot early -- not shy at all about being in the first wave and you earned a spot well into the upper half of a field with nearly 50 kids. Let’s be a little cautious this week on the miles. Talk to Sarah today about your hip/knee and use some ice at home 1-2 times per day plus lots of good stretching and warm-up activity. Stay quiet and quick on the midfoot when we’re running faster this week, but also think about staying tall on the easy days. Great job Kyler, or should I say, Gucci Kangaroo!
Tristan: @home Time Trial. 1.5mi, 9:17 - 6:11 pace.
Jackson: @home Time Trial. 1.5mi, 9:23 - 6:15 pace.
And an excellent TT effort from both of the Schmekel brothers as well! Those times slot nicely into a space near Isaiah and it will be awesome to move forward next week with more and more of you in the mix. Thanks for making it happen and for getting in an effort that will surely help in the weeks ahead!
Aksel: Hope you are feeling better. Can’t wait to have you back in the mix!
Jayden and Madison: Looking forward to having you try a first-ever HS XC race this coming weekend!
Jackson: @home Time Trial. 1.5mi, 9:23 - 6:15 pace.
And an excellent TT effort from both of the Schmekel brothers as well! Those times slot nicely into a space near Isaiah and it will be awesome to move forward next week with more and more of you in the mix. Thanks for making it happen and for getting in an effort that will surely help in the weeks ahead!
Aksel: Hope you are feeling better. Can’t wait to have you back in the mix!
Jayden and Madison: Looking forward to having you try a first-ever HS XC race this coming weekend!