BY PAUL KAMPE
Clarkston News Staff Writer
Practice might not always make perfect, but the extra work will usually pay dividends. Clarkston High School cross-country runner Bailee Braunreuthes is a good example of that, her coach Jamie Labrosse said after her 30th place finish at the county meet on Oct. 7.
‘She’s a freshman and she’s just getting used to training. I don’t think she realized what the training has done for her and it’s starting to pay off and she was ready to take some chances out there,? Labrosse said.
Labrosse has great hopes for Braunreuthes at the Oakland Activities Association league meet.
‘I think she has a shot to be top 15’that’s all-league honors. We’ve got a pretty tough league, but I think she’ll be there in the running for it.?
‘She’s got a bright future in this sport, she’s very talented, she can go as far in this sport as she wants to,? he added.
Braunreuthes ran in place of Tiffany Kincaid, the third runner on the team, because of an injury at the county meet. The move met with success when she finished with a time of 20:24.61, within 38 seconds of the top three Clarkston runners.
‘I feel pretty good because one of our runners, she had to drop out (of the race) so I had to step it up,? Braunreuthes said. The pressure helped her finish well. ‘I have more confidence because I know that I am all-county now.?
‘The injury put a little pressure on her to step up when we needed her,? Labrosse said.
‘I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out and she came through big time.
‘She’s come a long way since the middle school program. She came up and she’s been training all summer and up until this point, she had been underachieving based on where she was training.?
Labrosse said Braunreuthes ranks highly in an area full of competition.
‘Our county’s one of the toughest around, cross country wise.?
The team travels to the OAA meet on Oct. 19 at Bloomer Park in Rochester Hills.