Okanogan Highlands League Meet (MS) -- 10/21/2022

 OKHL Championships – 10/21/2022

 

Course Length – 1.5 miles

 

General Notes – This was the final race of the season! None of our athletes had ever run at Oroville, which means the excellent performances were especially impressive! The course is a bit strange, with grass, gravel, dirt, sand, and rocks all appearing at some point on the loop. The opening half mile is always slow at Oroville, and the closing half mile is always fast. This was definitely the coldest temperature we’ve seen at race time all season, though luckily the wind wasn’t too strong. Overall, really well done! Congratulations to the Boys team for finishing 2nd in the league and to the Girls team on completing their perfect season!

  

The Liberty Bell Girls won with a score of 19 points. Manson was 2nd with 44 points. There were 37 athletes and 3 scoring teams in the race.

 

Liberty Bell Boys were 2nd with a score of 47. Bridgeport won with a score of 43. There were 48 athletes and 5 scoring teams in the race.

 

Anja – One mile: 6:59. Finish: 10:03, 5th place. Average: 6:42.

What a race. You put it all out there! You are racing smarter each time and I think you’re doing an excellent job of finding the balance of staying in control and being patient and giving it your all. On an especially tough course, you ran your fastest average pace this season. It’s awesome that you have teammates to race with, it makes things just a bit more fun. Amazing job!

 

Avery – One mile: 7:35. Finish: 10:42, 12th place. Average: 7:08.

Wowzers! You raced hard. You ran your fastest mile split, average pace and overall time at the last race of the season. That is amazing timing and shows that your efforts throughout the season paid off. You looked calm but really determined throughout the race, even when you were running by yourself which is tough! I am super excited to see you get after it and have fun in your first season of XC.

 

Alida – One mile: 7:55. Finish: 11:11, 18th place. Average: 7:27.

Yay! That was a fantastic race. And it was on a course where the first half mile is really tough! You looked focused and in the “zone” throughout the race. Looking back to your last race last season, your average mile pace this year was about a minute faster. That is a lot of improvement and it’s coming both from hard work and your thoughtful attitude on your training and racing. Plus, you crushed your mile time goal!

 

Sky – One mile: 7:48. Finish: 11:12, 19th place. Average: 7:28.

Your first time racing in the cold, with a beach, with rocks, with hills….and you looked great.  You ran relaxed and consistent the entire race (even with your sweat top wrapped around your waist).  You PR’d by 40 seconds despite the tough course.  You will just continue to get faster.

 

Elsa – One mile: 7:58. Finish: 11:21, 22nd place. Average: 7:34.

A 30 second PR!  Need I say more?  You have been training hard and it showed. I loved the way you ran with teammates both pulling them along and having them pull you along.  I can’t wait for track season.

 

Luke – One mile: 6:27. Finish: 9:22, 6th place. Average: 6:14.

What a great finish to the season.  A top 10 in league and a 30 second PR!  You worked hard all season and it showed.  You looked determined in the race and your pace was over a minute per mile faster than last year’s PR.  Quite the improvement.  Can’t wait to see what you do on the track.

 

Liam – One mile: 7:15. Finish: 10:15, 21st place. Average: 6:50.

Great work. You went into this one with a positive mindset and you could really tell! Even during the steep uphills, you looked like you were focused. That helped you not go out too fast and then be able to move up throughout. You’ve been improving a little bit each race this season, and for comparison, your average pace at the last race last year was about a minute slower than this year. That’s leaps and bounds! Awesome job.

 

Cassius – One mile: 8:28. Finish: 12:00, 33rd place. Average: 8:00.

Nice job! You dug deep for this one. You got to run with some teammates for part of the race which is great and super helpful. You looked really determined throughout this race. I know you’ve been hurting a little but you still did terrific. Running is part mental and part physical and you showed a lot of grit in both ways. I’m super excited you tried XC this year and I hope you had fun too!

 

Asher – One mile: 11:50. Finish: 15:52, 47th place. Average: 10:34.

It was a tough course with sand, rocks and hills but you gutted it out strong.  Your time was a whopping PR by 1 minute and 47 seconds!  My favorite part was the look you gave the runner from Paschal Sherman when he tried to pass you in the last 100 meters.  Your glare, combined with your kick, left him in the dust.  Awesome.

 

Girls Race:

 

Posey – One mile: 6:26. Finish: 9:32, 2nd place. Average: 6:21.

 

Sammy – One mile: 6:58. Finish: 10:00, 4th place. Average: 6:40.

 

Ava – One mile: 7:06. Finish: 10:08, 7th place. Average: 6:45.

 

Maren – One mile: 7:10. Finish: 10:18, 8th place. Average: 6:52.

 

Madie – One mile: 7:51. Finish: 11:09, 17th place. Average: 7:26.

 

Sisu – One mile: 7:58. Finish: 11:20, 21st place. Average: 7:33.

 

Sutherland – One mile: 8:26. Finish: 11:54, 30th place. Average: 7:56.

 

Zoe P. – One mile: 8:25. Finish: 12:02, 31st place. Average: 8:01.

 

Charlotte – One mile: 8:27. Finish: 12:06, 32nd place. Average: 8:04.

 

Boys Race:

 

River – One mile: 6:07. Finish: 8:54, 4th place. Average: 5:56.

 

Landon – One mile: 6:35. Finish: 9:44, 11th place. Average: 6:29.

 

Sam – One mile: 7:05. Finish: 10:03, 16th place. Average: 6:42.

 

Owen – One mile: 7:06. Finish: 10:08, 17th place. Average: 6:45.

 

Weston – One mile: 7:32. Finish: 10:45, 26th place. Average: 7:10.

 

Kimball – One mile: 7:34. Finish: 10:55, 27th place. Average: 7:16.

 

Oliver – One mile: 7:49. Finish: 11:18, 28th place. Average: 7:32.

 

Orlo – One mile: 8:44. Finish: 11:58, 32nd place. Average: 7:58.

 

Freya – One mile: 8:46. Finish: 12:10, 37th place. Average: 8:06.

 

Dylan – One mile: 8:56. Finish: 12:51, 39th place. Average: 8:34.

Oroville Invite @ Lake Osoyoos State Park, Oroville, WA - 10/21/22

RACE COURSE: Somewhere between 3 miles and 5K….. An overcast and the first true cooler day of the whole season. Course was sort of two loops through the park, with two times on sand/rocky shore, two times around a campground, and up and down a big hill twice.

OVERALL: The write-ups this week are a little weak – Erik was out of town, so you only had Sarah to try to keep track of all the racing – and we all know she gets a little distracted cheering for everyone. So, we’ll keep the individual comments brief. But, a HUGE THANK YOU to all for being so self-sufficient and so capable of helping each other with glitter, warm-ups, cool-downs, etc. Big kudos to Captains Leki and Tristan for making sure your teams were ready to go!

GIRLS: 18 finishers. 1st place overall. Our goal was to keep this one fun. And, it looks like you all did keep a good perspective on it. I saw lots of good racing and relatively little anxiety and stress. You are learning that races are just little challenges to see how far we can push ourselves – they aren’t tests of who we are. Keep remembering to find the joy in each other and in the races – look for those moments that make you laugh or smile or just feel good.

Leki: 20:22, 1st place, 1st Mile: 6:31, Overall Pace: 6:41
Another wire to wire win with excellent pacing. You looked confident and relaxed the whole way. Nice job being patient, finding your spot to pull away on the big uphill, and then never doubting or looking back. You’re set for a big race at State.

Sandra: 21:30, 3rd place, 1st Mile: 6:51, Overall Pace: 7:03
I think it must have been the glitter, because wow! You just went for it. You were bold and strong in the first mile and then you just looked like you felt better and got stronger with every stride. Huge pace PR for you – you can break 7 for overall pace, for sure, as we get into the taper. So exciting to see you running so well at this point of the season.

Ingrid: 24:44, 7th place. 1st Mile: 7:35, Overall Pace: 8:07
Excellent job moving up confidently throughout the race. You got out a bit slower than last weekend, so now all we need to do is combine a confident first mile with your strong middle and end and you’ll be amazed at your time. This was an excellent race for you in the middle mile – you kept your arm swing going and your stride long. You are totally getting the feel for 5K!

Juniper: 25:32, 9th place. 1st Mile: 7:35, Overall Pace: 8:22
Great job getting out hard and putting yourself in the mix of the race. It was great to see you and Ingrid run together for so long. You looked like you were having more fun this week than last and we’ll work to keep that momentum going.

Yasmin: 26:48, 11th place. 1st Mile: 8:11, Overall Pace: 8:47
Another good solid effort. I saw you working hard the whole way. Your overall pace was a bit slower than last week, and I think the fact that you went out a little more hesitantly made the difference. Work hard at practice this week and I think you’ll feel confident and ready to get out a little harder in that first mile on a home course you know.

Josie: 28:42, 14th place, 1st mile: 8:31, Overall Pace: 9:25
Better than any time or place was the comment you made after the race that you kept the words to yourself 90%+ positive during the race. That’s huge! I know that was hard and your legs just weren’t doing what you wanted them to, but you met your goals and that’s what matters.

Zoe: resting that hip and taking mile splits! Thanks for understanding our desire to keep you healthy and ready for a strong districts. You’re going to feel rested and ready. Right where we want you to be.

BOYS: Varsity 40 finishers. 3rd place as a team. With a full team, we would have been right in the mix with Brewster and Chelan. It’s going to be tight with Brewster, but that’s what makes XC a great team sport!

Will: 16:52, 1st place, Overall Pace: 5:32
You are looking smoother and smoother each race. Nice job staying patient, yet quick, pushing hard, yet looking like you still have another gear to go when you need it. You are peaking at just the right time of the season.

Aksel: 18:04, 4th place, Overall Pace: 5:55
That actually looked like you had some fun. Great job racing Chelan’s #1 and Brewster’s Calderon. You were making up good ground on him in the last half mile–I think you can race him the whole way. I appreciate that you adapted this week and found the joy again (at least a little). Let’s keep that going into Districts.

Tristan Schmekel: 19:15, 13th place. Overall Pace: 6:19
Good to see you in the pack of yellow and to have you back on track to where you were when you ran the 5K on the track. An excellent last kick to just show that you never bet against a senior. I’m hoping your confidence is back – because it should be.

Kyler: 19:16, 14th place, Overall Pace: 6:19
Excellent job pushing your pack of Mountain Lions. We’ll need you three to fill the gap up to Brewster’s pack – and you can. It will take just one of you to be bold and lead the group. You can do that. Nice job giving it all you had in the last 100 meters.

Tristan Hover: 19:17, 15th place. Overall Pace: 6:19
Awesome job sticking like glue to your teammates…that’s how teams do this! You took almost 10 seconds off per mile on your pace from last week, which was a PR. You are running so well right now. Can’t wait to see what you do at Districts.

George: 20:05, 15th place. Overall Pace: 6:35
Wow – you ran 4 seconds per mile faster this week than last week, and last week was already a PR AND your knee hurt a ton! That’s pretty amazing. And, when you finished you felt like if your knee wasn’t hurting you could have gone even faster. That’s good for our team! Let’s hope the knee is feeling better.

John: 21:11 24th place. Overall Pace: 6:57
What a huge race! Last week your pace per mile was 7:14 (a PR) and this week you went under 7 per mile. That’s a pretty amazing improvement and especially noteworthy since you had to run by yourself for much of the race. Great job staying focused and trusting all the hard work you’ve been putting in.

Hunter: 21:42, 28th place. Overall Pace: 7:07
Another big improvement for you, Hunter. Last week you PR’d and your pace was 7:14 per mile and you just took 7 seconds a mile off that. That’s really really good. You were working hard out there and I especially noticed you digging in on the big uphill. Next week, no sand.

Omar: 26:25, 39th place. Overall Pace: 8:40
That was a PR, Omar! You ran 8:51 per mile at Twilight and then raced right past that this week. I know you didn’t like the sand but you were motoring on the hills – both the ups and the downs. I see a big PR in your future on the home course.

Dexter, Jackson, Jayden, Birch: We definitely missed you out there. Looking forward to having you all at Districts racing or on that lead bike!

Lake Spokane Invite @ Lakeside HS, Nine Mile Falls, WA - 10/5/22

RACE COURSE: 5km. A new meet for us with mercifully cooler temperatures and (nearly) smoke-free air. Temps in the 60s. Three-plus loops of a campus course. Mostly grass with a little dirt trail, a short steep/sandy hill, and just about 4 x 200m on an outdoor track.

OVERALL: Some new PRS and a really nice day regardless on a new course with teams that we don’t usually see. There are always things to tweak or to set aside for other times, but races are workouts at this point in the season and it was great get another one in whether it was just your second 5k of the season or your 5th. A workout on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, and then a 3mi race with predicted MUCH cooler temperatures on Friday at Oroville. Bring your BRRR! face and maybe a few extra layers that we’ve gotten used to :)

GIRLS: 73 finishers. 4th place overall and 2nd place small school girl’s team with 124 points. A good day of racing all around and even better to have all 7 of you there together on that warm up and cool down. We’re building a team – one of the best things about cross-country – and I hope you are each seeing that you play a vital role in each other’s success. You wore your glitter and your lion pride well today!

Leki: 20:42, 5th place, 1st Mile: 6:09, Overall Pace: 6:40
So impressive to go out so hard and then not panic. That first 800m was lightning quick (and I’ll just say that I appreciate that you went for it!), but you held it together and when the next group came up on you, you raced them good and strong. That’s the kind of racing experience you need as a season progresses – sometimes it’s good to know that you can go out hard and still hold it together. That was, all around, a really really good race for you today - and I know it still hasn’t felt smooth and easy. I’m confident it will in the next few weeks and you’ll have stored up all the knowledge and experiences you need.

Sandra: 23:29, 27th place, 1st Mile: 6:52, Overall Pace: 7:33
We knew you headed to the start line with a head cold and an unsettled stomach and I’m sure, for those reasons, that wasn’t your favorite race. Let’s focus on a few positives: 1) you ran a time very similar to what you did last week on the home course - that’s amazing, 2) you had an even faster first mile than at the home meet which says to me that even when you aren’t feeling well, you come to race, and 3) you were racing the whole way – you never let up. I’m hopeful that you’ll feel a lot better this week and even better the next week and now you know you can run competitively even when you don’t feel good. That’s a confidence builder.


Zoe: 24:17, 34th place. 1st Mile: 7:21, Overall Pace: 7:49

You looked stronger and stronger on each lap. You got out a bit more conservatively than last week and just kept a super solid even pace. You did an excellent job of staying connected to racers and you confidently moved up. I do believe this course runs about 25-30 seconds slower than Wenatchee, so it is totally possible for you to go under 24…let’s keep that in our sights.

Ingrid: 25:03, PR, 39th place. 1st Mile: 7:21, Overall Pace: 8:04
Yes! A PR on a slower course…that’s impressive. You put yourself right into the race in the first mile and I think that made all the difference. Your first mile was almost 30 seconds faster than last week. You looked good and strong the whole way and you still had something left for a competitive kick at the end. After the finish line you looked happy – like maybe you just figured out how tough you really are. Nice!

Yasmin: 26:52:10, PR, 53rd place. 1st Mile: 7:48, Overall Pace: 8:39
An excellent, excellent race, Yasmin. So good for so many reasons: 1) you never stopped, 2) you were racing the whole time, focused and positive, and 3) you charged up that hill each time with determination. Great job working hard the whole way AND still finding a way to bring it home on the track with some real speed. Now that you’ve beaten the 27 minute mark, let’s go for 26. I think you can.

Juniper: 27:06, 54th place. 1st Mile: 7:47, Overall Pace: 8:43
Great job coming back to 5K after missing a week. You’ve been reintroduced to the rhythm again and now this week, I’m sure, will feel easier. I looked back and you are running about the same overall pace for your 5K’s as for your 1.5mile junior high races, which tells me that you like the longer distances and have a great endurance engine. Keep putting in the work and keep believing in yourself. You’ve got this!

Josie: So glad to have you back and doing the full warm up and cool down with us. You are an important part of the team and we’re glad you’re sticking with it!

BOYS: Varsity 76 finishers. 4th of 11 teams overall and 1st place among small schools. With a full team today, we would have beaten Mead, currently ranked 4th in the 3A schools, and been quite close to Mt. Spokane the current #3 3A school… and whose team appears to be at least 2-3 times larger than ours :)

Will: 17:03, 3rd place, 1st Mile: 5:09, Overall Pace: 5:29
Steady progress in the right direction! A good early read on the pace and some tough racing late when the Lakeside runner caught back up. You are looking smooth and in control over the first two miles but the stride and use of the arms gets a little shorter late in the race. Totally understandable, and those final pieces will fall into place over the next few weeks. Keep fighting for that looser rhythm and a quick and snappy timing even when you know that you are tired. It came back again today on that final push toward the track, and it is always easier to find when the competition is right at your side. Nice workout and congrats on the near sub-17 performance!

Aksel: 18:40, 22nd place, 1st Mile: 5:38, Overall Pace: 6:00
Hey Aksel, we had a good chat on Saturday and I know that you are bummed and frustrated. Running some miles this week is fine, but I also want you to respect that your body is tired – and that the Sunday hunting probably isn’t going to help… except that I DO hope that it is fun and that you are successful! For the week ahead, I think that we just need to find some lightness and some joy in running again. If it hurts or makes you overly tired, we can avoid it. If you want to run med-long and easy, great. If you want to run some quick, fast things with lots of rest. Awesome. If you need an extra day off or a soak in the river. Take it. I still fully 100% believe that there is a 17:40 or better Aksel Thomson 5k in the offing in our last few meets of the season. Personally, I want that at state and you have all of the physical tools that you need to do it. You are the guys who is ready to leap over Kyler in a single bound and to jump 6 hurdles in a row. You’ve got ‘pop’ and you can race like crazy when you are keyed up and ready to go. You don’t need a million more miles of base or anything like that to do it. It's there. I know it. Have some fun this week. Rest. We’ll find you some good matches from Brewster or Chelan to hunt down and crush at Oroville. You’re good. We know it!

Jackson: 19:02, 29th place, 1st Mile: 5:44, Overall Pace: 6:08
Kind of the same but different from Aksel, I saw where you were in that race and it just looked like things were going really well. It wasn’t a fast course by any means, and a top 30 finish from the original performance list certainly seemed like the setup for 18:30 or lower. That being said, you have put in a lot of good interval work between Twilight and now, plus its been particularly busy at school with Hoco. Your bounce is coming as we pull back just a little in these next couple of weeks. A little turnover practice on Tuesday and some light tempo on Wednesday. Friday should be MUCH cooler and another good day for racing. Keep doing the work, and then we get down to business!

Kyler: 19:40, 43rd place, 1st Mile: 6:01, Overall Pace: 6:20
Right back in the 19:30 ballpark after a long week of Hoco action. You might have tried to hold back just a little, but 6 min pace might just be your go to speed in that initial mile. A little taper in the next two weeks should help that second half feel easier, so just as well that you are getting out with some pace. Great job as well in setting a good pace again for Tristan H. to follow. He trusts your judgement in the early going and it certainly helps him to get out faster and has elevated all of his races where this is possible. More of the same for Oroville and the final home meet, so you are indeed doing a great job of helping others to the best possible performances. Keep up the good work and low-19 or sub-19 is definitely in your future!

Tristan: 19:58, 51st place. 1st Mile: 5:54, Overall Pace: 6:26
First, I’m so impressed that you decided to jump back into this with a race. It was going to feel like a shock no matter what, and you managed it well even if the time was slower than you might have hoped. That being said, you ran 19:17 on a perfectly flat track and were really only 40 seconds slower after the abject misery of Twilight and basically two full weeks of not being able to really challenge your body or your fitness at all. The fact that you ran and finished with no pain is a victory of large proportion. It is great having you back in the lineup and hopefully a little speedwork plus two more races can get you back on track for some sub-19min races ahead. Remind me to checkin on Monday if I forget.

Little T (Tristan H): 20:04, PR, 53rd place. 1st Mile: 6:02, Overall Pace: 6:28
OH SO CLOSE to breaking that 20 minute mark! But still, a new PR and we’re giving you the 20:04 that was on my watch rather than the extra 10 seconds that got added to your time. Just another great example of how tough you can run when you have a teammate that you can trust to set the pace. And also, with your first mile being smack on the same as your race last weekend, its a great example of how tough you can be over the second half of the race. All the boys race together again both at Oroville and our home League/District qualifier meet, so you should have more situations ahead where you get to race with Kyler and Jayden and Tristan Hover as well. Good stuff for all of you together!

JV BOYS: 95 finishers.

George: 20:41, PR, 22nd place. 1st Mile: 6:32, Overall Pace: 7:39
So excited for you and it really felt like this was coming! You’ve looked so good in practice lately and that same loose and happy quality carried right over to your race. You were literally bouncing towards that finish line when you hit the track – sorry that you thought the finish was a little earlier than it was, but you still finished with an awesome 1:15 second PR and it was a really impressive race. Keep doing your steady work in practice and this week in Oroville you should definitley go out a little closer to Tristan Hover and see what you can do.

John: 22:28, PR, 53rd place. 1st Mile: 7:08, Overall Pace: 7:14
Such an excellent job, John. Smart racing all around and a well-earned PR. About 1:10 faster than Twilight and nearly 2 minutes faster than our home meet last weekend! You’ve been showing it in practice and it was awesome to see it arrive in the race. I’m not sure how many people you passed, but it just looked like you were moving up steady through the whole middle part of the race. It was also super fun to watch you and Hunter battle to the line and it was one of the best kicking matches of the day for sure. Great job and even more where that came from in the next two weeks ahead!

Hunter: 22:29, PR, 54th place. 1st Mile: 7:11, Overall Pace: 7:14
23:02 was your previous PR so you knocked a big chunk off of that and then some! You got out just about 4 seconds faster than Twilight, but almost 20 seconds SLOWER than our home meet… so this is better. It wasn’t nearly as hot, which helps for sure, but you just ran so steady over the second half and then also got into a great, long kick with John over pretty much the entire track. Overall, your 7:11 first mile to 7:14 average pace is really pretty awesome. Running even splits IS kind of idea, but always hard to accomplish over a 5k XC course. Congrats on a great race and a little taper over the next few weeks should help the final races feel pretty nice as well!

Omar: 27:57, 90th place. 1st Mile: 7:58, Overall Pace: 9:00
Not quite the PR from Twilight, Omar, but back on the sub-28 min train. With three times up that hill in the sand, that wasn’t a very fast course, and you also had a few less people in the mix to help push you along. With just two more weeks until our final race at home, we get to start backing off a bit on the total volume on both the distance days and the workouts. Ideally, this leaves everyone feeling sharper and ready to run at their best at the end of the season. Your 5k improvements – and how you feel while running – have already shifted so much in the last 8 weeks. And your goal of feeling ready for basketball should be very much accomplished!

Dexter, Birch, Jayden: Hopefully a day of healing and or good hunting (for Birch). The team is better with you all in the mix, so we hope to have it whole again in short order.