Wooster harriers get early taste of district competition

  • brian questel
  • September 28, 2011
  • 282
                        
100311 WHScrossMalone Promo: Wooster cross country teams have solid showings at Malone Invitational Wooster harriers get early taste of district competition By Brian Questel Districts are one the radar screen for both Wooster High cross country programs this fall, and the Generals got an early look at both their district course and competition at Malone College. Jackson won the boys’ meet September 25 by a comfortable margin with 42 points. There was a logjam for second, though, as Green took the runner-up trophy with 86 points, followed by Boardman (86), Perry (89) and Wooster (93). There was a big drop-off with Austintown Fitch in sixth place with 165 points in the 13-team field. Jackson was a repeat winner in the girls’ race as it wrapped up first with only 35 points. Green was a distant second with 91 points, followed by GlenOak (100), Cuyahoga Falls (101) and Perry (106). Wooster was seventh in the 10-team field with 163 points. “We did a good job. It would have been even better if we could have found seven points, but that’s all right,” said WHS boys’ coach Doug Bennett. “We were seven points from second place, we attended a meet that is our district course and we needed to run our district course with a competitive experience. The really good thing about this meet is all our top competitors minus one team were all there. Jackson, Green, Boardman, Perry, Lake and Hoover – it’s all about who is going for the right to qualify to regionals. “We ran very competitively with all those teams other than Hoover, who was not there, and Jackson, who placed first. With the other teams, we were seven points from being in second place and beating them all. As I said to the boys, all that means is each person passing one more runner and one passing two. When we do that together we knock their score down and we move up. “It’s very encouraging. It’s one thing to hear from your coach what the possibilities are, and another to run in a way without me saying anything. I don’t believe think they believed before they were that good a team. Now they know that.” Cody Neidig paced the Generals with a career-best 16:58, breaking 17 minutes for the first time and placing eighth out of 81 runners to medal. Zach Humrichouser was the second across the line with a 17:10 to place twelfth, while Kevin White nudged down his PR (17:22) as he and Brock Berlin (17:23) chased each other to the finish line to place 21st and 22nd. Ian Parry was Wooster’s fifth runner in with a 17:47 to place 32nd. Paul Wood had an 18:17 (46th) and Drew Wigham turned in a 19:51 (73rd). “There were only 13 teams out there and of the 13, five of us really duked it out,” said Bennett. “When you have a situation like that, as a coach you can see the scenarios play out in front of your. I dogged them over course. Malone allows you to do that. The mile and two mile is in the same place, so I can then get into the middle of the mile and the second mile where I normally can’t. I was pointing out the people they needed to pass, and the boys were really responsive and tried their best. This was a target race. We knew we need to do well and we answered. This was a real positive. They wanted to do well and they did do well. “We have a solid squad now. Our range was from 16:58 to 18:37 – a minute-40 is not a bad range and our top five range is 49 seconds. The more narrow that range, the better you are,” added Bennett. “We have not able complete any course as a team in (a combined) 86 minutes in a long time. If you get into the 85s and 84 minutes, you start to become very competitive. That’s a stat you don’t coach -- that comes along with a good team.” Wooster had 11 personal records on the day on what Bennett characterized “as a good day,” as almost half the team went out and got personal records. In the JV race, “Kalten Walter medaled and made way onto varsity with an 18:37,” said Bennett. “He was 16th out of 285 runners in the open race. That’s not a fluke. He went out and made himself a lot better … on a very tight course.” Other PRs for Wooster were Zach Buchholz with a 19:32, which placed him 78th. Peter Gooch had a 20:19, Kenny Kalikasingh 20:20, Keene Purvis 21:02, Patrick Carmel 21:07, Keegan Purvis 21:22 and Dalon Vura 23:16. The JV team finished eighth out of 17 teams. Malone was a new experience for the majority of the Wooster girls, noted coach Nikki Reynolds. “The seniors have been the only ones to go to Malone. For the rest of the team, this was a brand new course,” said Reynolds. “There were seven schools we will see at districts and this let them know what we need to do.” Sophomore Lauren Miller led the Generals with one of her top times with a 20:59, which placed her 16th overall as she broke 21 minutes for the first time this season. “That was her season best,” noted Reynolds. “She broke 21 minutes last year at regionals.” Her sister, Claire, was close behind her as she was 19th with a 21:15. While Kaitlyn Aukerman just missed pushing into the 21-minute range, she was 39th with a 22:06 to lead a group of WHS runners. Vicki Anderson was 44th (22:31), Gabrielle Sibilia was 45th (22:36) and Jackie White 50th (22:42). Kim Sibilia rounded out the top seven with a 23:37 (54th). Other runners to get PBs at Malone were Allie Wigham 24:19, Sarah Sanford 25:20 and Kristy Kalikasingh 27:42. “Kaitlyn Aukerman had her best time ever,” praised Reynolds. “That was Gabrielle Sibilia’s personal best and Jackie White had a season best. “I thought we did well,” she added. “Claire was a little under the weather, but it was a big step for the two of them to finish in the top 20. To have that many 22s and a couple eying 21s, and then Claire and Lauren in 20s … is encouraging. We have this weekend off, then we go to the new Orrville course and then we go to Lexington. That will help get us ready for districts. We’ll get some speed work at the Wayne-Holmes County meet since it’s flat and then some hills at Lex to help get us ready for districts.”


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