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The Rumble in the Heartland - It's Flood & Dowling Catholic

By SteveU

The action at Yankton Trail Park had been flowing smoothly and steadily throughout the day, but with modest excitement and buzz. Matching the mood had been the weather – kind of a mostly cloudy, rather cold and windy type of day.

But just before 2 p.m., right on cue, the clouds pulled back to offer up an opportunistic November sun and the winds began to die down, almost in deference to the drama about to be played out. The National Anthem was played and if the meet announcer had followed the with the old “LETS GET READY TO RRUMMMMMMMMBLLLLLEEE,” it would have been entirely appropriate. The atmosphere had been transformed, and the “fast girls” in the Girls Heartland Regional Championship were about to transform the day.


Katie Flood and Emily Sisson were 1-2 from the start. Photos by Inertia Sports Media

The wind had been replaced by electricity and anticipation, much of it focused on the trio of clubs representing the teams that led the DyeStat Heartland Rankings. In one box, the girls of 3-D Running Club prepared for takeoff, in position to truly defend, for the first time, its nearly 4-year dominance of the Heartland, which resulted in 4 straight state titles for its HL#1/US#8 high school team and three straight top-5 NTN finishes for its club. In another box was Sioux Falls XC, made up of the HL#3/US#19 Sioux Falls Roosevelt girls Meet Director Kristi Rieger coaches. Runner-up to Yankton each of those four years at state, but still a national power, the team’s club was hoping to earn a third trip to Portland. Both teams/clubs had continued to thrive despite the loss to graduation of multiple All-Americans.

Splitting them in the DyeStat rankings was HL#2/US#15 Dowling Catholic HS, which had trumped the field in the 4A Iowa State meet and had evolved from the Katie Flood Show with a decent team, to an even better Katie Flood show with much better team. And here, in Sioux Falls, their club sought to break up the South Dakota stranglehold on the region’s NTN representation. During the season, Roosevelt had been beaten by both Dowling Catholic (Griak) and Yankton (state), but Yankton and Dowling Catholic had never met.

Less than half an hour later, the girls in the maroon and white would be happily accepting congrats and interviews in the cooldown area beyond the finish line, celebrating a 1-3 finish by Flood and Ashlie Decker and a victory (officially announced at the awards ceremony) that seemed almost certain. Behind them, 3-D Running Club and Sioux Falls XC had battled fiercely for position and the former appeared to have prevailed, but no one except the officials knew for sure. And the Burnsville Skinnyski Club (Savage MN) had not had anyone place really high, but had an amazing group of four that appeared to put it in contention.

Indeed, it wound up being Dowling 67, 3-D 90, Sioux Falls 95, Skinnyski 97.



A chase pack about midway through (left photo, from left) includes Madeline Takahashi (10th), Laura Roesler (35th), Obsie Birru (partially obscured, 17th), Bailey Breems (11th), Tarin Lachowitzer (8th), and Mariah Hofer (6th). At right, Ashlie Decker outkicks Laura Hughes for 3rd. Photos by Inertia Sports Media

Individually, the race was decided from almost the gun, as are most races featuring Katie Flood. She certainly had worthy opposition, led by the formidable Millard North TC soph Emily Sisson. There was no Heartland NTN race last year, but Sisson was certainly the Heartland’s best runner as an Omaha Marian freshman. She had won Foot Locker Midwest and taken 3rd at the FL Finals. She was the USATF Jr. 5k champ on the track.

In the first Flood-Sisson showdown at the Roy Griak Invite, the two ran together for a little more than a mile. But then the Flood-gates opened and the Iowan forged a 30-second-plus margin.

Saturday, Sisson clearly was not out to run with Flood, yet wasn’t staying back in a pack, either. “My race plan was to stay close to her,” she revealed later. “But that plan didn't go so well.”

The only question would be what kind of time Flood would post as she zoomed over the flats and negotiated the hay bales and “whoop-dee-dos.” Never looking pained, she hit 5:26-11:16 and, finally, 17:35. Sisson was alone in 18:13 and Decker had a nice kick to run down Laura Hughes, the Minnesota 2A champ from Mankato who ran unattached, 18:24-18:27.

Flood appears pretty unstoppable at this point. She and Decker are planning to run Foot Locker Midwest next, where she will almost certainly meet Ohio star Claire Durkin, among others. Then in Portland, the top foe could potentially be Georgia Griffin, if her Hanover NH team enters a club and qualifies. In San Diego could await the likes of Jordan Hasay and Ashley Brasovan, who certainly have seemed invincible at their best.

After the race, there wasn’t a whole lot for Flood to say. She knew her HS team had been ranked 2nd to Yankton, but wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from the #1 team or how any others would go out in terms of challenging her. All she could really do was run her own race. “The hills and hay bales were fun, but challenging,” she said. “My coach and I were shooting for 17:15, but I’m pretty happy with how it went.”

But once that individual race was resolved, it was all about the team. That Flood’s and Decker’s finishes would probably add up to no more than 5 or 6 points was anticipated.

 
3-D's (Yankton) Jade Steinberg and Sioux Falls XC's Seanna Kautz console each other after the race.  
Photos by
Inertia Sports Media
“It was obvious we needed to also have the help on the back end,” said Coach Jim Kirby of what Betsy Flood (10th in team scoring, 19:21), Tanelle Berard (21st 19:41) and Heather Tobias (33rd 20:10) had to do. “Tanelle’s hip was bothering her, but Betsy stepped up and Heather has kept improving all year. To be here and part of this thing is huge for them.”

Said Betsy, a senior two years ahead of her sister, “We just planned to run our own races, and keep doing what we had been doing all season. No big changes.

“We took an easy week after winning the Iowa state meet, then worked our intensity back up last week,” she added. “We also practiced going over hay bales.”

As for the battle for second, it once again hinged on places here or there gained by runners at the end of the race. The 3-D Running Club’s Mariah Hofer kept moving up all race to take 4th (team-scoring) in 18:52, reversing her loss to Sioux Falls XC’s Bailey Breems (7th, 19:12) at the state meet. 3-D’s Megan Hilson (8th) and SF’s Erin Hargens (9th) battled all the way down the homestretch, with Hilson winning by a second, 19:14-19:15.

Megan Brown (14th) and Seanna Kautz (25th) then gained ground for SF in the 3 and 4 spots over 3-D’s Kristin Sternhagen (23rd) and Jade Steinberg (27th). But it was Krista Creager that sealed it for the runner-ups, finishing right with Steinberg in 28th as she came back from missing some races.

Hilson, Hofer, and Sternhagen spoke collectively of what they had to do. “We knew it would go our really fast, so we held back and ran our own race. Our plan was to hit the second lap hard and start moving up. We wanted to be patient. Our team has a philosophy in trust: Trust in your training, Trust in God, Trust in each other.”

Although Breems, the state runner-up, felt it wasn’t her best race, she said, “The whole team did better than we did at state. We tried to really focus the last couple of weeks.”

As for finally running the course that they had watched built throughout their harrier campaigns, she added, “It just went by really fast. It was like a blur.”

Maybe the blur she saw was Flood.


Dowling Catholic TC and 3-D Running Club girls


Heartland automatic qualifiers Dowling Catholic TC (Des Moines IA) and 3-D Running Club (Yankton SD). Photos by Inertia Sports Media
a

Results
Nike Team National Heartland Regional Championship 

Yankton Trails Park

Sioux Falls, SD

November 10th, 2007

========== Girls Championship Race Team Score ==========

1. 67 Dowling Catholic ( 19:03 1:35:13)

=============================================

1 1 Katie Flood 17:36

2 2 Ashlie Decker 18:25

3 10 Betsy Flood 19:21

4 21 Tanelle Berard 19:41

5 33 Heather Tobias 20:10

6 ( 44) Sarah Spellman 20:36

7 ( 74) Mary Lacy 22:23

2. 90 3-D Running Club ( 19:30 1:37:29)

=============================================

1 4 Mariah Hofer 18:52

2 8 Megan Hilson 19:14

3 23 Kristin Sternhagen 19:43

4 27 Jade Steinberg 19:50

5 28 Krista Creager 19:50

6 ( 41) Ethelin Cammock 20:35

7 ( 52) Hiley Cammock 20:55

3. 95 Sioux Falls XC ( 19:38 1:38:08)

=============================================

1 7 Bailey Breems 19:12

2 9 Erin Hargens 19:15

3 14 Megan Brown 19:27

4 25 Seanna Kautz 19:48

5 40 Laura Bauer 20:26

6 ( 46) Hillary Haddorff 20:43

7 ( 73) Caitlyn Crowley 22:22

4. 97 Burnsville Skinn ( 19:35 1:37:51)

=============================================

1 15 Erica Hett 19:27

2 16 Sharmila Ahmed 19:27

3 17 Alyssa Sybilrund 19:28

4 19 Maria Tinebra 19:30

5 30 Sarah Daniels 19:59

5. 124 Minot (M & M's) ( 19:48 1:38:57)

=============================================

1 3 Melanie Funke 18:51

2 18 Brecca Wahlund 19:28

3 24 Steph Greer 19:45

4 32 Vittoria Poole 20:09

5 47 Melanah Poole 20:44

6 ( 51) Ashley Brey 20:51

7 ( 71) Kaylie Marten 22:14

6. 135 Fargo South TC ( 19:52 1:39:17)

=============================================

1 6 Tarin Lachowitzer 19:03

2 20 Jordan Krahn 19:31

3 22 Semehar Tesfaye 19:41

4 29 Laura Roesler 19:51

5 58 Erin Valenti 21:11

6 ( 63) Katie Schalow 21:28

7 ( 67) Lauryn Wilson 21:41

7. 174 Bismarck RC ( 20:15 1:41:15)

=============================================

1 13 Alexa Wachter 19:27

2 34 Maddy Gendreau 20:10

3 38 Alana Fischer 20:23

4 39 Brooklyn Beehler 20:26

5 50 Casie Gates 20:49

6 ( 62) Lindsay Achtenberg 21:26

7 ( 68) Paige Hageness 21:50

8. 187 City of Iowa XC ( 20:22 1:41:48)

=============================================

1 11 Brittany Dhly 19:25

2 36 Kelsey Hart 20:14

3 42 Emily Fagan 20:35

4 43 Lindsay McFarland 20:35

5 55 Rebecca Rethwisch 20:59

6 ( 56) Cassidy White 21:05

7 ( 57) Hannah Kregel 21:09

9. 191 Adrian Roadrunners ( 20:21 1:41:43)

=============================================

1 26 Morgan Lynn 19:49

2 31 Jordin Kopplow 20:03

3 37 Leslie Stover 20:21

4 48 Austyn Thier 20:45

5 49 Megan Sauer 20:45

6 ( 60) Hailee Heitkamp 21:18

7 ( 70) Natasha Slater 22:08

10. 223 Johnston XC Club ( 20:39 1:43:14)

=============================================

1 12 Obsie Birru 19:25

2 45 Anna Belner 20:41

3 53 Molli Kipp 20:56

4 54 Brittany Trow 20:56

5 59 Amy Kruger 21:16

6 ( 66) Alyssa Eaves 21:35

11. 250 Omaha Marian CC ( 21:15 1:46:14)

=============================================

1 5 Kelli Budd 18:58

2 35 Kelly O'Brien 20:14

3 61 Kelly Esch 21:19

4 72 Megan Flaxbeard 22:15

5 77 Christine Buechler 23:28

6 ( 78) Sarah McCaslin 23:44

12. 349 Grand Forks RC ( 22:03 1:50:11)

=============================================

1 64 Rebecca Fee 21:32

2 65 Kaitlin Medal 21:33

3 69 Jessica Lindsey 21:55

4 75 Lauren McMillan 22:35

5 76 Brittany Bunde 22:36


Nike Team National Heartland Regional Championship
Yankton Trails Park
Sioux Falls, SD
November 10th, 2007
Girls Championship Race

Place TmPl No. Name School 1mile 2mile Time Pace
1 1 1159 Katie Flood Dowling Catholic 5:27 11:16 17:35.18 5:40
2   1298 Emily Sisson Millard North RC 5:33 11:33 18:13.16 5:52
3 2 1157 Ashlie Decker Dowling Catholic 5:38 11:49 18:24.43 5:56
4   1284 Laura Hughes Mankato West RC 5:36 11:45 18:26.60 5:57
5 3 1307 Melanie Funke Minot (M & M's) 5:45 12:04 18:50.39 6:04
6 4 1011 Mariah Hofer 3-D Running Club 5:50 12:07 18:51.92 6:05
7 5 1316 Kelli Budd Omaha Marian CC 5:49 12:13 18:57.80 6:07
8 6 1214 Tarin Lachowitzer Fargo South TC 5:46 12:12 19:02.83 6:08
9   1405 Ashley Washburn Saint Thomas Aquinas 5:50 12:13 19:03.94 6:09
10   1473 Madeleine Takahashi Sturgis Brown RC 5:51 12:07 19:05.50 6:09
11 7 1409 Bailey Breems Sioux Falls XC 5:51 12:10 19:11.72 6:11
12   1326 Maddie McClellan Perham CC Club 5:52 12:19 19:12.94 6:12
13 8 1010 Megan Hilson 3-D Running Club 5:57 12:26 19:13.67 6:12
14 9 1415 Erin Hargens Sioux Falls XC 5:56 12:24 19:14.30 6:12
15 10 1158 Betsy Flood Dowling Catholic 6:00 12:25 19:20.91 6:14
16 11 1133 Brittany Dhly City of Iowa XC 6:01 12:29 19:24.27 6:15
17 12 1261 Obsie Birru Johnston XC Club 5:46 12:20 19:24.43 6:15
18 13 1081 Alexa Wachter Bismarck RC 5:56 12:28 19:26.46 6:16
19 14 1410 Megan Brown Sioux Falls XC 6:02 12:29 19:26.68 6:16
20 15 1118 Erica Hett Burnsville Skinn 6:01 12:29 19:26.69 6:16
21 16 1116 Sharmila Ahmed Burnsville Skinn 6:02 12:30 19:26.93 6:16
22 17 1120 Alyssa Sybilrund Burnsville Skinn 6:02 12:31 19:27.56 6:16
23 18 1313 Brecca Wahlund Minot (M & M's) 5:50 12:23 19:27.96 6:16
24 19 1121 Maria Tinebra Burnsville Skinn 6:00 12:24 19:29.19 6:17
25 20 1213 Jordan Krahn Fargo South TC 5:54 12:25 19:30.78 6:17
26 21 1156 Tanelle Berard Dowling Catholic 5:56 12:31 19:40.57 6:20
27 22 1217 Semehar Tesfaye Fargo South TC 5:54 12:39 19:40.58 6:20
28 23 1018 Kristin Sternhagen 3-D Running Club 6:01 12:36 19:42.75 6:21
29 24 1308 Steph Greer Minot (M & M's) 6:02 12:42 19:44.05 6:22
30   1132 Jordan Wohlleber Cheyenne-Eagle B 5:55 12:33 19:45.31 6:22
31 25 1418 Seanna Kautz Sioux Falls XC 5:57 12:26 19:47.66 6:23
32 26 1045 Morgan Lynn Adrian Roadrunners 5:59 12:37 19:48.79 6:23
33 27 1017 Jade Steinberg 3-D Running Club 6:02 12:40 19:49.18 6:23
34 28 1006 Krista Creager 3-D Running Club 6:01 12:36 19:49.56 6:23
35 29 1215 Laura Roesler Fargo South TC 5:46 12:24 19:50.99 6:24
36 30 1117 Sarah Daniels Burnsville Skinn 6:02 12:33 19:58.64 6:26
37 31 1044 Jordin Kopplow Adrian Roadrunners 6:05 12:49 20:02.68 6:28
38   1152 Taylor Braunberger Dickinson RC 6:01 12:43 20:07.13 6:29
39 32 1312 Vittoria Poole Minot (M & M's) 6:17 13:00 20:08.94 6:30
40 33 1162 Heather Tobias Dowling Catholic 6:09 12:54 20:09.34 6:30

Nike Team National Heartland Regional Championship
Yankton Trails Park
Sioux Falls, SD
November 10th, 2007
Girls Championship Race

Place TmPl No. Name School 1mile 2mile Time Pace
41 34 1075 Maddy Gendreau Bismarck RC 6:14 13:04 20:09.38 6:30
42 35 1322 Kelly O'Brien Omaha Marian CC 6:09 13:01 20:13.08 6:31
43 36 1135 Kelsey Hart City of Iowa XC 6:07 12:53 20:13.64 6:31
44 37 1048 Leslie Stover Adrian Roadrunners 6:16 13:06 20:20.46 6:33
45 38 1073 Alana Fischer Bismarck RC 6:09 13:02 20:22.43 6:34
46 39 1071 Brooklyn Beehler Bismarck RC 6:10 13:01 20:25.52 6:35
47 40 1408 Laura Bauer Sioux Falls XC 6:19 13:05 20:25.55 6:35
48 41 1003 Ethelin Cammock 3-D Running Club 6:12 13:06 20:34.14 6:38
49 42 1134 Emily Fagan City of Iowa XC 6:08 13:02 20:34.75 6:38
50 43 1136 Lindsay McFarland City of Iowa XC 6:17 13:05 20:34.77 6:38
51 44 1161 Sarah Spellman Dowling Catholic 6:21 13:15 20:35.52 6:38
52 45 1260 Anna Belner Johnston XC Club 6:15 13:10 20:40.25 6:40
53 46 1414 Hillary Haddorff Sioux Falls XC 6:15 13:07 20:42.14 6:40
54 47 1311 Melanah Poole Minot (M & M's) 6:17 13:12 20:43.74 6:41
55 48 1049 Austyn Thier Adrian Roadrunners 6:16 13:06 20:44.16 6:41
56 49 1046 Megan Sauer Adrian Roadrunners 6:27 13:18 20:44.53 6:41
57 50 1074 Casie Gates Bismarck RC 6:17 13:13 20:48.25 6:42
58 51 1305 Ashley Brey Minot (M & M's) 6:17 13:16 20:50.19 6:43
59 52 1004 Hiley Cammock 3-D Running Club 6:20 13:19 20:54.90 6:44
60 53 1263 Molli Kipp Johnston XC Club 6:15 13:13 20:55.24 6:45
61 54 1266 Brittany Trow Johnston XC Club 6:15 13:18 20:55.76 6:45
62 55 1138 Rebecca Rethwisch City of Iowa XC 6:17 13:20 20:58.61 6:46
63 56 1139 Cassidy White City of Iowa XC 6:17 13:20 21:04.24 6:47
64   1565 Jayne Cole Winged Foot RC 6:15 13:16 21:08.58 6:49
65 57 1140 Hannah Kregel City of Iowa XC 6:23 13:29 21:08.97 6:49
66   1137 Libby Randleman City of Iowa XC 6:24 13:39 21:09.37 6:49
67   1402 Morgan Commodore Saint Thomas Aquinas 6:17 13:26 21:10.56 6:49
68 58 1218 Erin Valenti Fargo South TC 6:08 13:26 21:10.75 6:50
69 59 1264 Amy Kruger Johnston XC Club 6:19 13:26 21:15.38 6:51
70 60 1043 Hailee Heitkamp Adrian Roadrunners 6:20 13:35 21:17.15 6:52
71 61 1318 Kelly Esch Omaha Marian CC 6:17 13:39 21:18.28 6:52
72   1296 Laura Peterson Millard North RC 6:28 13:46 21:24.09 6:54
73 62 1068 Lindsay Achtenberg Bismarck RC 6:18 13:33 21:25.02 6:54
74 63 1216 Katie Schalow Fargo South TC 6:32 13:43 21:27.64 6:55
75 64 1244 Rebecca Fee Grand Forks RC 6:28 13:48 21:31.55 6:56
76 65 1247 Kaitlin Medal Grand Forks RC 6:28 13:48 21:32.29 6:56
77   1404 Sarah Moore Saint Thomas Aquinas 6:20 13:37 21:33.12 6:57
78 66 1262 Alyssa Eaves Johnston XC Club 6:28 13:42 21:34.73 6:57
79 67 1219 Lauryn Wilson Fargo South TC 6:17 13:43 21:40.57 6:59
80   1566 Danielle Erickson Winged Foot RC 6:34 13:53 21:49.27 7:02

Nike Team National Heartland Regional Championship
Yankton Trails Park
Sioux Falls, SD
November 10th, 2007
Girls Championship Race

Place TmPl No. Name School 1mile 2mile Time Pace
81 68 1076 Paige Hageness Bismarck RC 6:27 13:54 21:49.91 7:02
82 69 1245 Jessica Lindsey Grand Forks RC 6:34 13:57 21:54.72 7:04
83 70 1047 Natasha Slater Adrian Roadrunners 6:32 13:57 22:07.19 7:08
84 71 1310 Kaylie Marten Minot (M & M's) 6:10 13:27 22:13.83 7:10
85 72 1319 Megan Flaxbeard Omaha Marian CC 6:41 14:16 22:14.90 7:10
86 73 1412 Caitlyn Crowley Sioux Falls XC 6:48 14:22 22:21.81 7:12
87 74 1160 Mary Lacy Dowling Catholic 6:36 14:11 22:22.45 7:13
88 75 1246 Lauren McMillan Grand Forks RC 6:46 14:22 22:34.42 7:16
89 76 1243 Brittany Bunde Grand Forks RC 6:46 14:22 22:35.54 7:17
90   1567 Ashley Wigton Winged Foot RC 6:45 14:22 22:41.42 7:19
91   1297 Amanda Poppens Millard North RC 6:54 14:41 23:04.86 7:26
92   1293 Caitlin Bazis Millard North RC 6:52 14:47 23:15.53 7:30
93 77 1317 Christine Buechler Omaha Marian CC 6:48 14:57 23:27.56 7:34
94 78 1321 Sarah McCaslin Omaha Marian CC 6:33 14:45 23:43.85 7:39
95   1518 Ali Gress Unat-NE-Bellevue 6:15      
Timing & Results by PrimeTime Race & Event Management, LLC. www.pttiming.com

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