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Great American Cross Country Festival Sept. 23, 2006 Spain Park, Hoover AL a DyeStat Featured Meet with on-site coverage by John & Donna Dye, John Nepolitan, Doug Speck and Brandon Miles |
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Donna on the Side
- Races of Champions - Awards - the wave -
The Great American stars fell on Alabama, singing Sweet Home Alabama......
| Sweet home Alabama Where the skies are so blue Sweet home Alabama Lord, I'm comin home to you |
Athletes from 26 states gathered at Spain Park adjacent to Spain Park High School for the popular Great American Cross Country Festival. The meet was held at Spain Park, Hoover, Alabama outside of Birmingham. Hoover, named after William Hoover was founded in the 1967. Starting with 410 citizens, the city now boasts a population that exceeds 65,000. The Riverchase Galleria and the Hotel Wynfrey are located in the heart of Hoover. The Birmingham and Hoover area have many points of interest including the Aldridge Gardens, the Folklore center, the Moss Creek Preserve and the many sites in Birmingahm. The Aldridge Center is a beautiful 30-acre site showcasing hydrangeas and picturesque gardens. The Folklore Center consists of the Stinson Ole Place, built in the 1840's. The Center is routinely used to showcase the past century to school-aged children. Features include a smoke house, corn crib, spring house, barn, water trough, and outhouse. Volunteers dress up in period costumes and entertain the children with stories, crafts, and music from the pioneer days. The Moss Rock Preserve is a beautiful 250 acre nature preserve abundant with trees and plants, rock outcroppings, streams, waterfalls, wildlife and other unique natural features.
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The roar of a cannon marked the start of races and the return of runners from the forest loop to enter the home stretch.
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And to keep them smiling and waving, there were green fans, clowns, balloons, face paiting, swings and playground antics.
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More on the Side
Tupelo MS |
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Tupelo MS Moms |
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Oakridge TN |
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| Brentsville VA |
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Holy Trinity FL |
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| Blacksburg VA |
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Charlotte Catholic NC |
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| Shades Mountain Christian School AL |
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| Mark Everett, an 800m 3 time olympian, with Steve Bledsoe AL. Mark has joined the coaching staff at Mountain Brook AL. Steve Bledsoe was meet host. Steve's son was a DyeStat Elite runner who is now at NC Stat. |
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Not all of the action is on the course. Parents, fans and coaches work hard on the side.
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| Enjoying the cooling mist, Ben Hubers GA winner of the Race of Champions talks with 4th place Brian Rhodes-Devey about the race. | Kathy Kroeger,TN winner of the girls Race of Champions with her Coach, Kristen Reames. |
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| Teammates give a hug to Ben Hubers. | |
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Ben Hubers and Teammates |
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Ben Hubers with dad, Gerry (l) and Coach Travis Gower |
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| 5th place Andy Wacker from Picecrest NC with Dad, Charley and Coach Jason Bochert | |
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Small Schools Boys
| 1st Trevor Sprauge St. Pius | 2nd Matt Hanlon (l) 09 Wesleyan School-, N 17:21.1 2 and 3rd Matt Gossett 09 Wesleyan School-, N 17:24.6 3 |
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| Trevor Sprauge with his family: (from left) Brother, Austin; Dad, Steve; Trevor; sister Hannah and Mom, Teressann |
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| Will Dinan AL, with parents Jeanna and Bill |
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Small School Girls
| Cousins, Abigail Iselborn (r) ME and Kaitlyn Iselborn FL. Abigall won the Small Scools Race and Kaitlyn was 4th. |
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Abigail Iselborn with her parents Charlie and Linda |
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| Kaitlyn Iselborn with her parents Kim and Tony |
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Boys
1 Collegiate School, New Yo 59 7 9 12 15 16 96 131 Total Time: 1:23:18.60 Average: 16:39.72 2 Shenendehowa HS, Clifton 93 1 10 21 29 32 42 88 Total Time: 1:23:51.20 Average: 16:46.24 3 Midlothian HS, Midlothian 123 5 17 25 35 41 61 115 Total Time: 1:25:05.30 Average: 17:01.06 |
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Collegiate School NY |
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| Collegiate's Coach George Calano receives the Nike Bowerman Trophy. |
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2nd Shenendehowa NY |
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3rd Midlothian VA |
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Girls
1 Episcopal HS, Jacksonvill 99 3 6 15 27 48 59 88 Total Time: 1:40:58.40 Average: 20:11.68 2 Midlothian HS, Midlothian 114 5 23 26 28 32 33 56 Total Time: 1:41:39.90 Average: 20:19.98 3 Tupelo HS, Tupelo, MS 168 13 29 37 39 50 126 146 Total Time: 1:43:23.20 Average: 20:40.64 |
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1st Episcopal FL |
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| Episcopal Coach, Michelle Krueger receives the Bowerman Trophy |
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Episcopal with their family, fans and friends |
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2nd Midlothian VA |
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3rd Tupelo MS |
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Tupelo MS gals with their fans, family and friends |
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