Pair of anchors highlight Garaway girls' State meet
Garaway's girls had two.
Both Rachel Wentworth and Anna Havranek wound up in the top 25 at the Div. III girls State cross country meet at National Trail Raceway in Hebron Saturday, Nov. 2, thus earning All-Ohio honors.
For the sophomore Wentworth, it was the second trip to the podium, her run this year placing her fifth overall. Havranek found her way to All-Ohio status with a 20th place finish. and both capped off tremendous careers in leading the Lady Pirates to sixth place overall at State.
"My goal was top five coming in, so I am pretty excited right now," said Wentworth. "I feel like I ran the best I could, so I can't ask for anything more."
What does a fifth-place finish in a sophomore campaign do for the goals of a runner?
It blasts the expectations sky high, according to Wentworth.
She is already setting goals and thinking about ways to take a few steps up the ladder next season.
"Obviously I'd love to improve over this finish next year," said Wentworth. "More than anything, I am so proud of my teammates. We had a great race and a fantastic season. We are like sisters, and I couldn't be more proud of helping us do better than we did last year (8th)."
Not far back from Wentworth was Havranek, who was in her final attempt to crack the top 25.
Her effort would not be in vain, as she celebrated a goal which has been on her mind for some time.
"This feels great," said Havranek. "My goal was to get top 25 last year and I didn't do it, so to get here and make it this year is very satisfying. I knew I was in the 20s, so I wasn't sure exactly where I was at."
Havranek only knew that she had to push herself to finish as high as possible, unsure as to her exact number.
The pressure of a State competition is extreme enough, but doing so knowing that, as a senior, it is your final shot at achieving something that has been incredibly important to you only adds to the intensity of the event.
Throw in the simple fact that your teammates are relying on you to come in with a great effort for the team score, and the stress level could shoot through the roof.
"You try to put all of that in the back of your mind, but as a senior, there is a lot of added pressure in this race because you've set goals for yourself and your team, and it's your last race," said Havranek.
"But I think it is almost easier to run faster here because of all of that adrenaline and the crowd. It pumps you up."
All year, Havranek has been a model of consistency, just as she was in this race. She was 21st at the first mile marker, then 21st at the two-mile mark, before finishing up in 20th.
"I couldn't imagine wanting to finish my career any other way than at State, here with my teammates, and being in the top 25," said Havranek.
For team stories and plenty of photos of the State meet, visit our website at: www.HolmesCountyTicket.com.