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Region 11/30/02 at McAlpine Greenway Park, Charlotte NC |
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Results | Top Finishers
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Seeded Girls: Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!by Stephen (SteveU) Underwood
Forish was followed by: 2. Natalie Picchetti, San Antonio, TX 18:04 Only one of the 8 qualifiers (Schueler) had ever run in a Foot Locker seeded race before. Biggest SurpriseThe biggest surprise was yet to come, however. In the girls’ freshman/sophomore race later in the morning, home-schooled freshman Katie Albright of Wake Forest, N.C., actually clocked the fastest time of the day, a sterling 17:52. Not having entered the seeded race, however, Albright will not be going to San Diego (see Katie's Story). Meanwhile, Forish was determined to improve on her UIL showing. Despite beating Mackenzie Edwards and Monique Ortega in her regional meet, her state meet was a downer. She knew she could do better, but ... “I wasn’t expecting to do as well as this,” she said with a smile. “I know at the state meet I didn’t feel quite as good as I had in previous races. I kind of wanted to go out hard in this race and I was just glad I felt better. “I just knew I had to go out strong and stay with the front pack,” she continued. “Then I usually feel stronger toward the middle of the race. I just took a step up that hill (almost 1.5 miles) and just kind of cut in front of everybody, and just wanted to stay up there. I kept pushing myself. I knew that they were strong behind, so … I led from that point on.” The longer distance (5k vs. 2 miles in Texas) was no deterrent to Forish, who credits her success to harder work over the summer, her work with coach Terry Jessup of Metroplex and the support of her coaches at school. “I think I actually run better whenever it’s longer, because I do go out in the middle and I can keep going. I think I’m strong enough to go out in the middle and keep up my pace.” Runner-up Natalie Picchetti of San Antonio WAS concerned about the longer distance, but her fears turned out to be unfounded. “I was a little scared, because we run 2 miles and this was 5k,” she said, “and I’d never run a 3-mile faster than 19:30. My goal was like, to get 8th place or something, so when I got second, I was really proud of myself.” Picchetti had more reason to be proud than just succeeding over 5k, though. Living in Georgia last fall, she suffered stress fractures most of the year. Then in track, she was denied a chance at the state meet when her name was inadvertently left off the school’s entry lists for its region meet and officials refused to let her in. Then came the summertime move from Alpharetta, Ga. to San Antonio, Texas. But Picchetti has shone all fall long, winning her district and region, then taking second in Texas 5A. That same determination paid off Saturday. “Like on the last stretch, I was in 5th and there was this pack in front of my and I was just like, ‘I’m just going to go for it.’ And I made that choice. And I achieved it.” The next six finishers all had state titles of one form or another under their belts. Most just had so few credentials coming into the fall that they still hadn’t appeared on the national radar. Alabama 4A champ (with fastest overall time) Tara Lenn of Mobile, Ala., was as stunned as anyone after making it in 4th behind Kiernan. She was 6th in the freshman/sophomore race last year, so this was her first shot in the big race. “I’m a sophomore, so I figured I’d just run this year,” she said, “and see how it is and get experience, so maybe junior and senior year I’d be able to qualify. So I’m surprised. I mean, I was hoping for it, but I wasn’t going to be disappointed if I didn’t make it. “I started 7th-8th, then I got into 4th,” she added. “Then I was like, ‘well, I can do this.’” Taking 5th, 6th and 7th were Kate Niehaus (Columbia, S.C.), Kate Merrill (Durham, N.C.) and Lauren Blankenship (Alpharetta, GA). Niehaus is just a freshman, but had won the S.C. state meet and broken an 18-year-old record. Merrill (a junior) had won the 4-A meet in N.C., but still had no experience at this level. Blankenship (a senior) was the best in Georgia this year, winning the AA state meet and having the fastest time overall. Blankenship had run nearly as well in previous years in Ga., but hadn’t been to FL before. “I just hadn’t known about it,” she said. But the articulate Cara Kiernan, the Independent Schools champ in Virginia who just started running last spring, probably summed up the mindset of many of the contenders in this race. Like the others, the No. 3-finisher didn’t know what to expect and had at least some hopes of making top eight. “I was sort of coming in as an underdog, where people didn’t really know me and didn’t know what I could do,” she said, “so I was hoping to use that in the middle of the race. I wanted to pass people aggressively and just try and hold on for the rest. Then go for a last surge around the last 1200 and see what I could do. “You never really know what to expect, who’s behind you and who’s really strong in the last 1000,” she added. Of course, being new to the sport, she (like Albright) was even less known than some of the others. Kiernan had run track last season and had been convinced to run CC this fall “to stay in shape for track.” She also comes from a lacrosse background. Apparently, it was a good mix as Kiernan went undefeated this year. She is quick to give credit to coaches Mike Schroer and Amy Ross at the Potomac School, as well as teammate Charlotte Lawson. The only two girls that wound up being contenders, with any Foot Locker pedigree wound up being Maddie Schueler and Carmen Mims from Kentucky. Grade-school classmates in Louisville, the private-school standouts were 35th and 29th in FL South last year, and have been close in all their battles this year. At the state meet they were in separate classes, but Schueler won the Class AAA race and Mims repeated in AA – the former going two ticks faster than the latter. Saturday, Schueler said, “I went out pretty fast; I knew you had to get out fast. I felt tired at the end, but I knew I had to just hang on. I wasn’t sure what place I was, but I knew I was up in the pack. I knew I was in 8th or 9th, then one girl passed me, so I didn’t know until I crossed the finish line. Mims, however, knew the score, realizing she was 9th at the end, five seconds behind her old classmate. “It could have been better,” she said. “But it was the best I could do on this day.” It wouldn’t have been a surprise, however, if Mims had made it ... and it was definitely a day for surprises.
Seeded Girls Results 3.10 Miles, 5.00 Kilometers 1 Rachael Forish (11) Arlington, TX 17:56.59 2 Natalie Picchetti (11) San Antonio, TX 18:04.23 3 Cara Kiernan (12) Vienna, VA 18:05.22 4 Tara Lenn (10) Mobile, AL 18:06.20 5 Kate Niehaus (9) Columbia, SC 18:06.63 6 Kate Merrill (11) Durham, NC 18:07.21 7 Lauren Blankenship (12) Alpharetta, GA 18:07.60 8 Maddie Schueler (11) Louisville, KY 18:08.24 9 Carmen Mims (10) Louisville, KY 18:13.78 10 Genevieve Chavez (12) San Antonio, TX 18:14.53 11 Julie Yonts (11) Louisville, KY 18:15.80 12 Jennifer Barringer (10) Oviedo, FL 18:16.46 13 Emily Harrison (11) Front Royal, VA 18:16.81 14 Joy Griffith (12) Northport, AL 18:20.02 15 Jennifer Boyd (12) Chesapeake, VA 18:21.47 16 Joanna Rodgers (12) Fairfax, VA 18:23.20 17 Selina Sekvlic (12) Virginia Beach, VA 18:26.97 18 Beth Fahey (11) Dumfries, VA 18:27.28 19 Tara Enebak (12) Auburn, AL 18:30.04 20 Shauneen Garrahan (12) Fairfax Station, VA 18:30.39 21 Jenissa Hess (10) Manassas, VA 18:32.30 22 Brittany McGuire (12) Humble, TX 18:34.61 23 Ginna Ellis (10) Virginia Beach, VA 18:35.76 24 Morgan Phelan (11) Fairfax Station, VA 18:36.23 25 Christy Brewer (12) Atlanta, GA 18:40.11 26 Sarah Cole (11) Somerset, KY 18:40.64 27 Jennifer Beury (11) Roanoke, VA 18:41.13 28 Brenna Burns (11) Weaverville, NC 18:41.36 29 Danielle Almeida (11) Boca Raton, FL 18:41.57 30 Elizabeth Hilligoss (11) Houston, TX 18:43.83 31 Jessica Fanning (11) Charlottesville, VA 18:46.69 32 Cassie Hostick (11) Austin, TX 18:49.43 33 Melissa Kotchman (9) Seminole, FL 18:49.73 34 Amy DiBianca (12) Winston Salem, NC 18:51.76 35 Robyn Debenedet (d) Jacksonville, FL 18:53.58 36 Jennifer Thompson (12) Arab, AL 18:54.25 37 Laura Bowerman (11) Tampa, FL 18:54.51 38 Dacia Barr (11) Austin, TX 18:55.83 39 Katie Endres (11) Sterling, VA 18:57.51 40 Rachel Collins (12) Granbury, TX 18:57.76 41 Carolyn Quebe (12) Plano, TX 18:57.98 42 Allison Barlow (12) Orange Park, FL 18:59.24 43 Elly Kabboord (12) Cocoa Beach, FL 18:59.57 44 Alana Lara (11) Willis, TX 19:01.22 45 Taylor Barr (11) Asheville, NC 19:01.58 46 Leah Ryan (9) Louisville, KY 19:02.32 47 Leigh Ann Taylor (9) Monroe, NC 19:04.56 48 Kelly Swain (12) Fairfax Station, VA 19:05.33 49 Kasey Smith (12) Walnut Cove, NC 19:07.76 50 Samantha Mazer (11) Nashville, TN 19:09.52 51 Vicky Echeverria (12) Greer, SC 19:10.02 52 GraceAnn Nathanson (12) Baton Rouge, LA 19:10.97 53 Jessica Doan (10) Young Harris, GA 19:12.23 54 Denise Bargiachi (10) Cordova, TN 19:13.24 55 Rebecca Mullen (11) Atlanta, GA 19:13.88 56 Katie Doswell (9) Richmond, VA 19:15.38 57 Kristen Johnson (11) Atlanta, GA 19:15.67 58 Alissa Wilke (10) Charlotte, NC 19:15.91 59 Michele Milner (12) Aiken, SC 19:17.48 60 Shannon Capps (12) Knoxville, TN 19:18.33 61 Amanda Boswell (12) Virginia Beach, VA 19:18.76 62 Clara Grandt (10) West Union, WV 19:22.65 63 Tyler Mulkin (11) Birmingham, AL 19:23.73 64 Amanda Quick (9) Lutz, FL 19:25.52 65 Keriann Langley (11) Metairie, LA 19:26.28 66 Samantha Ference (12) Clifton, VA 19:26.65 67 Lyndsy Bedell (11) Plano, TX 19:28.34 68 Erin Bedell (10) Plano, TX 19:28.59 69 Keonya Davis (10) Cartersville, GA 19:31.52 70 Katie Almand (10) Snellville, GA 19:31.77 71 Anna Greskovich (10) Pensacola, FL 19:32.02 72 Kelly Marshall (11) Jacksonville, FL 19:33.62 73 Christina Porter (11) Alexandria, VA 19:34.22 74 Catherine Fisher (12) Boca Raton, FL 19:38.43 75 Amelia Slagle (12) Davidson, NC 19:40.75 76 Tasmin Fanning (10) Charlottesville, VA 19:41.64 77 Maggie Kovach (11) Asheville, NC 19:41.96 78 Juliana Kole (12) Friendswood, TX 19:42.63 79 Kirsten Wiesman (12) Victoria, TX 19:42.99 80 Theresa Burridge (12) Louisville, KY 19:43.23 81 Shannon Coates (11) Boca Raton, FL 19:43.44 82 Halie Bullin (11) Cedar Park, TX 19:45.60 83 Laura Mortimer (11) Jackson, MS 19:45.98 84 Chelsea Metheny (11) Elkins, WV 19:46.37 85 Marissa Daniels (11) Pearland, TX 19:48.78 86 Jessica Hoppe (11) Stafford, VA 19:49.64 87 Emily Pellegrini (10) Louisville, KY 19:49.96 88 Natalie Sherbak (11) Virginia Beach, VA 19:50.24 89 Eva Gordon (12) Atlanta, GA 19:51.28 90 Danielle Boucher (11) Cary, NC 19:52.69 91 Rebecca Zuhlke (9) Satellite Beach, FL 19:53.11 92 Shelley Taylor (9) Cohutta, GA 19:56.21 93 Kelley Zwart (11) Lexington, VA 19:57.03 94 Lauren Swenson (12) Southlake, TX 19:58.09 95 Jena Richard (11) Dallas, TX 19:59.63 96 Emily Williams (10) Clemmons, NC 20:04.13 97 Jillian Porto (11) Woodbridge, VA 20:04.62 98 Dena Spickard (12) Marion, VA 20:05.47 99 Gina Casella (11) Charlottesville, VA 20:06.01 100 Kelly Weinel (10) Wake Forest, NC 20:08.38 101 Mandy Anderson (11) Willis, TX 20:09.33 102 Ashley Ezell (12) Virginia Beach, VA 20:10.72 103 Jessica Jackson (12) Corpus Christi, TX 20:11.52 104 Jennie Belt (12) Richmond, VA 20:13.21 105 Tara Peterson (12) Stafford, VA 20:16.66 106 Christy Dannenberg (12) Apo, VA 20:18.02 107 Desiree Lopez (12) Elmendorf, TX 20:18.86 108 Meredith Urban (12) Morrisville, NC 20:19.79 109 Barbara Garner (11) Buford, GA 20:21.31 110 Shiyrah Mielke (11) Hendersonville, NC 20:23.95 111 Lindsay Larson (11) San Antonio, TX 20:24.32 112 Deanna Drugash (11) Largo, FL 20:28.33 113 Kimberly Garner (11) Buford, GA 20:28.67 114 Cassidy Pearson (12) Southlake, TX 20:28.98 115 Sally Cunningham (12) Cary, NC 20:31.33 116 Jill Bryant (12) Scottsboro, AL 20:32.90 117 Kate Hixon (11) Virginia Beach, VA 20:34.23 118 Ashley Hughes (12) VA 20:41.09 119 Sarah Brown (10) Atlanta, GA 20:44.44 120 Monika Pletzer (11) Gastonia, NC 20:55.01 121 Nichole Grothaus (11) Naples, FL 20:56.09 122 Allie Hunter (12) Tallahassee, FL 21:00.54 123 Vanessa Meneses (12) Biloxi, MS 21:01.28 124 Samantha Jacobsen (11) New Port Richey, FL 21:16.62 125 Rebekah Daniel (12) Prosperity, WV 21:24.68 126 Jenna Hunter (12) Hillsborough, NC 21:25.03 127 Lynley Roche (12) Kenner, LA 21:30.40 128 Tricia Lamb (12) Cedar Park, TX 21:34.22 129 Christy Tucker (10) Austin, TX 21:38.01 130 Meghan Marino (11) New Orleans, LA 21:41.28 131 Brittany Holland (12) Statham, GA 21:44.71 132 Hannah Parks (10) Kernersville, NC 21:49.07 133 Danielle Cullen (10) Vilas, NC 21:49.37 134 Jenny Becker (11) Humble, TX 22:19.08 135 Anna Wilson (11) Cary, NC 22:33.95 136 Audrey Schneider (10) San Antonio, TX 23:01.62 137 Kristin Sutter (12) Chapel Hill, NC 24:41.01
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