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Cross Country 1999

Millard West Invitational

10/1/99 at Walnut Grove Park, Omaha NE
Boys 5000 meters, girls 4000 meters - cool and blustery

from Craig Christians

No. 3 Brad Barker of Omaha Westside (4:17.5 at '99 State Track Meet) handed Brian Turner his second loss of the season. 

from [email protected]

Persistence paid off Friday for Brad Barker at the Millard West Invitational cross country meet.

The senior from Omaha Westside held off Millard North's Brian Turner to capture the varsity boys' title in the race held at Walnut Grove Park. Barker had finished second behind Turner, the defending Class A champion, in two previous meets this season.

"It feels great," Barker said. "but I realize the one that really counts (the state meet) is in a few weeks."

Barker, who finished third at state last year, said he really didn't expect to win Friday. But his time of 15:54.35 was more than 12 seconds better than Turner, who finished in 16:07.05.

"I was kind of apprehensive today," Barker said. "But my strategy was to try and stick with him as long as I could."

After one false start in the 5,000-meter race when a runner fell in the first 100 meters, Barker and Turner quickly separated themselves from the rest of the field. The two ran together until there was about 1,000 meters left, when a sprinting Barker began to pull away.

"That time was the fastest I've run by 7 seconds," Barker said. "Today was just my day."

Bellevue East's Mickey Kaufman finished third (16:49.59), Mike Nanfito of Millard West was fourth (16:55.99) and Micah Hecht of Millard South was fifth (17:08.07). Nanfito and two other runners who finished in the top 10 - seventh-place Jon Dewey and 10th-place Jeff Heath - helped the host Wildcats win their own invitational with a team score of 57.

In the girls' varsity competition, Kelsey Reed of Omaha Burke posted the victory in 15:07.98. The junior outdistanced runner-up Megan Poppens of Millard North, who finished in 15:13.92.

"It was definitely a struggle out here," Reed said. "I'd been doing a lot more speedwork the past few weeks to get ready and it paid off."

Reed won despite showing a definite dislike for the 4,000-meter course.

"Actually, I hate this course," she said. "It just seems to be real hilly once you get out there."

Millard West also captured the girls' title, finishing with 59 points. The Wildcats were led by fifth-place finisher Laura Ferguson (15:23.35) and eighth-place finisher Sara Fonda (15:30.23).

BOYS
Team scoring-Millard West 57, Millard North 116, Millard South 117, Om. Creighton Prep 122, Bellevue East 124, Om. Westside 145, Om. North 173, Om. Central 185, Om. Burke 209, Om. Northwest 209, Papillion-LaVista 213.
Individual leaders- 1, Brad Barker, Om. Westside, 15:54.35. 2, Brian Turner, Millard North, 16:07.05. 3, Mickey Kaufman, Bellevue East, 16:49.59. 4, Mike Nanfito, Millard West, 16:55.99. 5, Micah Hecht, Millard South, 17:08.07. 6, Shane Murphy, Om. North, 17:10.47. 7, Jon Dewey, Millard West, 17:18.66. 8, Chris Gorga, Om. Central, 17:19.02. 9, Cody Peratt, Millard North, 17:20.97. 10, Jeff Heath, Millard West, 17:23.63.
GIRLS
Team scoring-Millard West 59, Om. Marian 67, Millard South 78, Om. Burke 79, Millard North 87, Om. Westside, 163, Papillion-LaVista 164, Om. North 217, Om. Northwest 273.

Individual leaders-1, Kelsey Reed, Om. Burke, 15:07.98. 2, Megan Poppens, Millard North, 15:13.92. 3, Anna Jones, Om. Marian, 15:19.51. 4, Sara Granville, Papillion-LaVista, 15:22.34. 5, Laura Ferguson, Millard West, 15:23.35. 6, Mary Timmerman, Om. Marian, 15:27.63. 7, Michaela Lenihan, Om. Marian, 15:28.04. 8, Sara Fonda, Millard West, 15:30.23. 9, Sarah Kent, Millard South, 15:45.66. 10, Jessica McClary, Millard South, 15:46.26.


 

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