Runners kept their pace and kept out their competition during the Hanson’s Invitational last Saturday to aid their teams to take second place.
The Lady Wolves split the team to take second in two varsity races.
“Our varsity ran pretty well,” said Clarkston Girl Cross Country Coach Kevin Breen. ‘I know they are capable of more. For the most part we ran on par for where we are at right now. We had some good performances.”
Nicole Hanson led the team and the race, finishing in first place at 18:57, boosting the team to 53 points for second place.
“She had her first opportunity to run a race where she could go out and win it,” said Breen. “She gained a little bit of confidence as she beat athletes regarded as the top athletes in the state.
‘She was running in the race and maintaining her speed in the race pack. She realized she had quite a bit in her tank and spent the last half mile pulling away from the rest of the pack. she gained a lot of confidence from that.”
Lynsie Gram finished in eighth overall; 19:59; Kaitlin Catania, 13th, 20:21; Sage Beauregard, 15th, 20:48; Erin Billette, 16th, 20:48; and Amanda Chamberlain, 19th, 20:58.
Helen Jeffers led in the second varsity race, taking fourth place at 21:41 as the team scored 43 points for their second place finish.
The boys took second with 77 points. Daniel Billette led finishing in fifth, 16:33. Sam Tanielian finished in second place, 16:40; and Nick Moore, 15th, 17:44.
The Lady Wolves took second place with 84 points at the OAA Red Jamboree #2 at Stoney Creek Metropark, Sept. 24. Seaholm took first.
“I thought we would go out there flat,” said Breen. “I don’t know if they were running on pure adrenaline or what but they went out there and crushed it. They did awesome.”
Hanson led the team, finishing at 19:01 in sixth place. Gram took 11th place, 19:33; and Erin, 13th, 19:44.
The boys also finished in second with 82 points. Lake Orion took first with 43 points. Tanielian led, finishing in fourth at 16:40 and Daniel finished in ninth, 16:59.
Both teams head to the Oakland County Meet at Kensington Metropark in Milford on Saturday.
The Lady Wolves are going to the course before the race to get mentally prepared.
“We could be one of the top teams,” said Breen. “It is just a matter of making sure the girls go into the end of the week feeling good, feeling healthy and feeling fresh.”
He pointed out there are many good teams in the county and they are looking at Troy, Rochester Adams and Seaholm as their biggest competition.