Miller sisters lead Generals to third in OCC title race

  • brian questel
  • October 18, 2011
  • 273
                        
102311 OCCgirls CC Promo: Lauren Miller spurs Wooster cross country girls to third in OCC Championships Miller sisters lead Generals to third in OCC title race By Brian Questel When Lauren Miller stepped onto to the course at Lexington, she knew it was going to be a difficult day. The Wooster sophomore delivered on a tough day weather-wise with a fifth-place finish, helping the Generals to a third-place showing in the Ohio Cardinal Conference championships, which were held at Lexington High School. Lex claimed the girls’ team crown by nine points over Ashland, 37-46, with the Generals recording 66 points to place third. West Holmes (83) and Madison (144) rounded out the 5-team field, while three other schools – Orrville, Mansfield Madison and Clear Fork – did not field full squads. “Going in and knowing the conditions, we knew the course was tough and the wind was going to add another dimension,” said Wooster coach Nikki Reynolds. “The girls would have wanted the pack closer to the front, but they gave it all they had. “It’s not like track,” laughed Reynolds. “This was the first (sloppy, windy conditions) we’ve had all season. The girls who were more petite had more of a struggle, whether it was middle-school, JV or varsity. The hills weren’t that bad for us because we’ve trained for that all summer, but the wind was what we were not quite used to. “There were gusting wins and they were strong. It was a good workout to get ready for (districts) this week (at Malone).” Lauren Miller led the charge for the Generals as she turned in one of her top times despite the conditions with a 21:08, which earned her first-team OCC honors. She finished ahead of her sister, Claire, who was also first-team with a seventh-place, 21:14 timing. “I kinda felt faster than the time that showed,” said Miller of her fifth-place finish. “Everyone else’s time was about 40 seconds slower. I hope that means I can drop that much time this Saturday. That was close to my time (the week before) at the Wayne-Holmes meet. The wind was pretty difficult, especially up the hills where I really felt it. I felt better at Lexington than Orrville, so I must be in better shape and hopefully I’ll be able to perform Saturday the way I want to. “Fifth was about what I expecting,” she added, although she wasn’t expecting to beat her sister. “She’s my goal. … Next race I hope we can run together and that will help both of us. It makes us both faster.” Vicki Anderson was Wooster’s third runner as she was 16th with a 22:35 to place just ahead of Kaitlyn Aukerman (18th, 22:49), while Kim Sibilia (23:00) rounded out Wooster’s top-5 runners as she placed 21st. “Lauren and Claire were both first-team OCC and the next three – Vicki Anderson, Kaitlyn Aukerman and Kim Sibilia – were all honorable mention,” said Reynolds. Jackie White (23:27) placed 22nd and Rebecca Kreuzman (26th) recorded a 24:14 to account for Wooster’s varsity showing. West Holmes’ Emily Molnar, a sophomore, took individual honors with her 20:24 clocking, which gave her a 13-second advantage over runner-up and All-Ohioan Ellen Isaac of Lexington. “It helped we went over Wednesday and had the opportunity to walk the course and then run parts of it,” said Reynolds. “They were more comfortable on this course than the week before (at Orrville). We talked about the course and it’s different pieces and that helped. “The course would have added some time even if hadn’t been as windy. There weren’t as many turns as at Orrville but there were hills to deal with … and the wind. The girls tried to run a great race for the conditions that day.” Wooster traveled to Malone College (Oct. 22) to compete in the 18-team district. The girls raced at 12:10 p.m., with the boys following at 1:55 p.m. The top five teams, along with any individual runners in the top 20, will then advance to regionals at Youngstown Boardman seeking a berth in the state meet.


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