| Cary, NC - Although not overly treacherous, the 5,000-meter race-day layouts at the Great American Cross-Country Festival's SAS Park intertwine that perfect blend of rolling terrains and the required accompanying shifts in tempo to pick apart the racing skills of even the most savvy high school harriers.
Enter New York's Aislinn Ryan and North Carolina's own Sandy Roberts.
Relying on their own superb strength levels and a keen understanding of how to use the course traits to their distinct advantage, each took home the individual crowns at the seventh edition of the nation's premier in-season stage for hill-and-dale competition. Ryan successfully defended her title with the same bold middle-mile move for the second consecutive year while Roberts relied on patience to keep contact with the leaders before seizing the victory with a determined effort over the final kilometer.
Teamwise, it was a case of "New York, New York" as Saratoga Springs of upstate New York not only captured the Girls Race of Champions title as expected, but the boys also crew closer to their lofty preseason aspirations with a sensational performance that sealed a sweep of the coveted team titles for the juggernaut program that now boasts TWO national-class squads!
Unlike recent episodes of the Great American, runners this year were greeted with fairly accommodating race-day conditions as the usual blanket of dense humidity, very warm temperatures and soft/soggy trails gave way to tolerable levels of moisture in the air, thermometer readings in the 70s and 80s, and packed-down terrain along the winding layout.
Girls
"There were more people around me this time than last year," said female race winner Ryan of Warwick Valley HS in New York. "There was a pack of four of five and we were together for most of the first half of the race."
Ryan, Cassie Hintz (Old Town HS, Maine), Floridian Kelly Parrish (Vanguard HS) Missouri's Meredith Snow (Eureka HS) and New York's Lindsay Ferguson (Saratoga Springs HS) traded off the lead for much of the first few kilometers, but with entry into the second batch of forested area awaiting, one sensed the race tilting toward Ryan's favor. "The tougher the conditions and the course, the better for Aislinn," said Warwick Valley coach Rich Furst the day before the race. "She handles challenges better than anyone."
Even the quartet of national-class harriers stretching stride-for-stride with her did nothing to daunt Ryan. "I felt pretty confident and knew it'd be a good race over the last mile."
Hintz took over the pace-setting duties early along the third kilometer, with Parrish then assuming the reigns two minutes later. All the while, Ryan appeared biding her time, always ready to strike. Once the course veered along the park's north side and into a series of winding downhill stretches, Ryan threw down the hammer. Almost quicker than one could blink, the gap between Ryan and the rest began to mushroom. 10 meters. then 20. then 30.
"I felt real good on the downhill and began to try pulling away from there," Ryan said
Some of those trying to match Ryan's move paid the price, hitting their 'red zones' before falling off pace, allowing some of the more patient runners a chance to move up. By race's end, Ryan stretched her final margin to exactly 30 seconds in victory over Hintz (17:05 to 17:35), with Smoky Hill CO's Keara Sammons closing well to place third (17:36) and Katie Niehaus netting fourth (17:40).
Boys
In the boys' race, Saratoga Springs' Stephen Murdoch was the early pacesetter, trying to gap the field by late in the opening mile, but to no avail. Despite an opening-mile split of 4:39, several of the bigger names kept Murdoch in reach. It was along the middle mile that Colorado's Mohamud Ige, the pre-race favorite in the eyes of several, gained the lead and pressed the pace. A bulldoggish Murdoch, Florida's Justin Harbor and Tennessee's Rob Sorrell were among those in the chase pack. until the race re-entered the woods at 1.7 miles. Then a new face entered in the pursuit - North Carolina's Sandy Roberts.
Our pre-race pick, Roberts gradually shored the gap on Ige, who reached two miles at 9:39, then settled on his shoulder for the next two minutes before making his move at about 2.4 miles.
"The two long (inclines) kind of take a lot out of the runners, especially the second time through it," explained Roberts afterward. "I wanted to start making my move a bit after that, when I knew others were tired."
Roberts' patience and steady pacing paid off handsomely as he drew even with Ige for a minute before making his move. Not soon after, Ige began losing form and flashing signs of fatigue. As the leaders re-entered the hill for the final 700 meters, Roberts' strength showed as he bounded powerfully up the final incline before hanging a laft-hand turn and barreling downhill toward the finish before the hometown fans.
Roberts, who won in a lifetime-best 15:03, works out on this course every other Monday and admitted his familiarity with the course was an advantage. Ige was second in 15:12 and Roberts' nemesis Jack Bolas of Cahepl Hill HS was third in 15:20. |
