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 | Nike South Invite
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Bear Branch Park, The Woodlands, TX
DyeStat on-site coverage with John Sullivan
77 degrees, mostly cloudy, 88% humidity |
SO#5 Cedar Park TX boys 92-96 over SO#2 Rogers AR
SO#4 Kingwood TX girls 63-118 over SO#5 Woodlands TX
Colby Lowe 15:16
Lauren Smith 18:18
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- Boys Race Summary - Girls Race Summary - Results with photos - More Photos - Video from Houston Chronicle with Terry Carter -
- Preview -
- Entries -
- Schedule -
DyeStat Previous Years:
- 2006
- 2005
- 2004 (inaugural)
| Will Lauren Smith win again? YES!!
Lauren (in blue), battled Tara Upshaw early on
| Colby Lowe? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!
All alone, his grandfather proudly looking on
| | | photos courtesy Terry Carter |
RACE SUMMARIES:
With a field loaded with many of the best South teams and athletes, the Nike South Invitational promised to be a great event. When the threatened rain held off, the action on the course was that much more enjoyable for the athletes and spectators alike.
Boys
The Boys Elite 5k got off on schedule at 8:00 am. Passing the finish chute for the first time at the 800 mark, Southlake Carroll sr Colby Lowe was in his familiar front-running position, motoring by in a sizzling 2:13. Seven Lakes jr C.J. Jessett was next, in a pack with Mercedes sr Alex De La Garza, Lockhart sr Rory Tunnngley, Woodlands soph Drew Butler and surprising Marcus fr Craig Lutz.
Lowe continued to stretch the lead, passing the mile in 4:35, with jr teammate C.J. Brown now his nearest pursuer in 4:44. De La Garza was still in the hunt in 3rd at 4:45, followed by Jessett 4:47, Tunningley in 4:49, and Lutz in 4:50, then Seven Lakes jr Chase Rathke, Katy Taylor sr Austin Bussing and Woodlands jr Reed Connor.
Teamwise it was close, as the raw places of the eventual top three teams at that point were:
120 SO#5 Cedar Park (10-18-23-31-38)
122 SO#1/US#7 The Woodlands (9-11-32-33-37)
156 SO#2 Rogers AR (25-26-27-36-42)
At the 2-mile, it was all Lowe in 9:41 and Brown in 9:51, while the rookie Lutz had moved into 3rd in 9:58. Connor was next in 10:03 with Tunningley on his heels in 10:04. The 2nd five were Cedar Park soph Jay McIllece, Georgetown jr Evan Hibbs, De La Garza, Bussing and Georgetown sr Jacob Guerrero.
The raw team scores were now:
97 Cedar Park (6-16-21-26-28)
143 The Woodlands (4-25-32-36-37)
158 Rogers (19-24-34-35-46)
There wasn’t much change near the front in the final 1.1 miles, but the team race was tightening. Colby Lowe, the defending champ and 2-time Foot Locker finalist, finished all alone in 15:16. His teammate C.J.Brown, 3rd in the state in 2006, took the silver in 15:34. The freshman Craig Lutz, winner of the junior high race last year, finished his stunning bronze medal effort in 15:45. Rory Tunningley clocked 15:55 for 4th, having moved past Reed Connor who ended up 5th in 15:57. Evan Hibbs finished 6th in 16:08, followed by Rogers sr Aaron Hamilton, the state 7A champ, in 16:11, leading his hard-charging team.
With 400 to go, the raw team scores were:
102 Cedar Park (10-12-24-27-29)
119 Rogers (7-13-30-34-35)
154 The Woodlands (5-33-36-37-39)
As Hamilton and his teammates were moving up, Cedar Park’s Jay McIllece was struggling and he ended up 20th. That combination led to a very close final raw score of Cedar Park 112, Rogers 114. And sure enough, Cedar Park earned the title 92-96 when the official adjusted scores were released.
It was a satisfying win for Cedar Park coach Timo Sheard. “It feels great. We’ve come here many times (a 3-hour drive to face his former high school coach Dan Green’s Woodlands teams and others in the traditionally strong Houston area), ready to get our rear-ends handed to us. So it’s exciting.” At the same time it’s also a bit unsettling. “It’s kind of scary. We’re treading in new water here, and have a young team. Our goal is to make it to state. Our District and Region will both be hard.” He was pleased with the team’s overall performance. “Our top four ran strong, but our #5 (jr Chris Galvin) wasn’t even on the team last year, he was a swimmer, and he just keeps moving up. Our spread just keeps getting tighter.”
The Rogers team put on a performance worthy of its South #2 ranking. “Aaron Hamilton led the team from start to finish. He kept digging the whole way!,” said Coach Carlton Efurd. “Taylor Surly ran an awesome race after sitting out for two weeks with a hurt foot. Cameron (coach’s son) and Forrest Roth really closed the gap in that last mile. If Juan's (Oralla) shoe hadn't slipped off, he might have caught a couple more guys. We were probably in 4th at the 2-mile mark, but ran a great last mile. I was real proud of the way we never quit.”
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PREVIEW:
Will Lauren Smith win again?
| Can Colby Lowe also repeat?
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Course Records:
Girls - 18:03.0 Lauren Smith, Brazoswood TX, 2006
Boys - 15:13.5 Colby Lowe, Southlake Carroll TX, 2006
BOYS ELITE PREVIEW
Teams
Defending champ and host school The Woodlands, ranked #1 in the South Region (link) and #7 in the U.S. (link) according to The Harrier magazine, is the team favorite with a convincing win at Texas A&M, the biggest meet thus far in Texas. SO#2/US#20 Rogers AR looks to improve on last year’s 7th-place finish with 5 of its top 6 back, and has scored big wins at Missouri Southern and the OSU Cowboy Jamboree. A question mark is whether usual #2 Taylor Surly can run with a sore foot. SO#3 Georgetown earned a surprising silver at A&M and will be a force. SO#4/US#24 Southlake Carroll, 2nd last year and 3rd at A&M, is always a factor with its potent 1-2 punch of Colby Lowe & CJ Brown. SO#5 Cedar Park is off to a good start, including a win at home over Georgetown, and will be dangerous. SO#8 Seven Lakes, the top 4A team in Texas, had a nice win at Humble and was 5th at A&M. SO#9 Socorro travels 775 miles from El Paso to test its mettle against the strongest field it’s faced this season. Deer Creek OK, the 4A state champ, and Mustang OK, the 5A state champ, will be looking to make their mark along with highly-regarded Texas teams Corpus Christi Carroll, FEAST home school, Klein Oak, Mayde Creek and PSJA North.
Individuals
Southlake Carroll sr Colby Lowe, the defending champ, is a heavy favorite to lead the way again. This 2-time Foot Locker finalist, defending state 5A XC champ, and state track 1600-3200 gold medalist is unbeaten this season and will be looking to pad his resume. His jr teammate CJ Brown earned silver at A&M and was 3rd in state last year. The Woodlands jr Reed Connor had a breakout track season, clocking 9:14 and capturing state 3200 bronze, and was 3rd at A&M. Rogers AR sr Aaron Hamilton is the 7A state champ and was 2nd at the OSU Cowboy Jamboree last week. Mercedes jr Alex De La Garza ran 15:44 in state 4A last year, better than the 6th best 5A returnee. Georgetown jr Evan Hibbs has improved this year and was 5th at A&M. Klein Oak sr Jeremy Warren was 8th at A&M and is the #18 state 5A returnee. Magnolia sr Michael Cook is the #7 state 5A returnee - dangerous, though he hasn’t been at that level yet this season. Lockhart sr Rory Tunningley and St Pius sr Joey D’Eramo finished 16-17 last year and are the only top 20 returnees in addition to Southlake Carroll’s Lowe and Brown. Other athletes who could challenge for high places include Socorro sr Robert Snyder, Seven Lakes jr Jimmy Welin and jr CJ Jessett, Deer Creek OK sr Adam Young, Cedar Park soph twins Jay and Bobby McIllece and Mustang OK sr Aaron Goble.
GIRLS ELITE PREVIEW
Teams
Hereford, the 2006 4A state champ that was 3rd in the “merged” State results across all classes (link), lost only #5 and #7. They come in undefeated with a #3 ranking in the South Region, but may be hampered by an injury to expected #2 Alyssa Diaz. Even if 100%, they’ll be sorely tested by defending champ SO#4 Kingwood, a deep and experienced squad that has faced at least one top team every week. And SO#5 The Woodlands is coming off a 4th-place showing at the Stanford Invite in California, and is eager to perform well on this faster course in front of its home crowd. SO#8 Southlake Carroll has been a bit up-and-down and not at full-strength, but gathered itself for a 3rd-place finish at A&M. This is a dangerous team, especially if healthy. SO#10 Ursuline Academy, the defending 5A TAPPS champion, was 5th here last year, but will need a #5 to step up. Other challengers include Lamar - ranked #9 in TX 5A, TX 5A #10 Belton, Rogers AR - defending 7A state champ, FEAST home school, Bishop McGuinness OK - 4A state champ, TX 4A #3 Seven Lakes, Cy-Woods, TX 3A #3 Cameron Yoe, and Marcus.
Individuals
This is shaping up to be a preview of the Texas state meet. Brazoswood jr Lauren Smith won this race last year, went on to earn silver at State, and is in fine form based on her recent win at Texas A&M. Her main competition may again be Southlake Carroll jr Tara Upshaw, 3rd last year and 2nd at A&M. Alvin sr Brittainy Robertson was 3rd at A&M - and they’re the top 3 state 5A returnees. Kingwood sr Kristen Hanselka was 5th last year and is the #5 state returnee. The Woodlands soph Sarah Andrews was 7th at the Stanford (CA) Invite and is running well. Ursuline jr Melanie Wilcox finished 9th last year and will be a contender. McKinney North sr Stephanie Ganter and Hereford sr Ashley Mason were 4-5 in state 4A last year in 11:29, faster than the #11 state 5A returnee, and have both won invites this year. Belton soph Regan Tindell has posted impressive results, with sr teammate Skylon Alford often close behind. Bishop McGuiness sr Molly Ferguson was the 4A state champ. Seven Lakes jr Jackie Alnes finished 6th at A&M, just 2 spots ahead of Southlake Carroll soph Jessica Harper, who was followed by Klein fr Hillary Montgomery - all entered here. Lamar sr Halsey Fowler, winner at Friday Night Lights, and sr Shelby Bottoms, #7 state 5A returnee, have talent and experience. Magnolia sr Taylor Cloy and McAllen Memorial jr Tricia Allen are both top state 5A returnees, 12th and 14th respectively. Kingwood’s Addie Quinn and Megan Munoz ran well in last year’s race. FEAST freshman twins Janessa and Emily Dunn have made a big splash on the cross country scene in the San Antonio area. Other accomplished athletes include Rogers AR jr Courtney Efurd, Marcus jr Alyssa Dooley, The Woodlands sr Nevena Pilipovic-Wengler and Spring jr Faith Sanders.
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BOYS ELITE ENTRIES:
SO#1/US#7 The Woodlands TX
SO#2/US#20 Rogers AR
SO#3 Georgetown TX
SO#4/US#24 Southlake Carroll TX
SO#5 Cedar Park TX
SO#8 Seven Lakes TX
SO#9 Socorro TX
Belton TX
Conroe TX
Corpus Christi Carroll TX
Deer Creek OK - 4A state champs
FEAST Home School TX
Klein TX
Klein Oak TX
Magnolia TX
Marcus TX
Mayde Creek TX - TX 5A #9 ranked
Mission TX
Mustang OK - 5A state champs
PSJA North TX
GIRLS ELITE ENTRIES:
SO#3 Hereford TX
SO#4 Kingwood TX
SO#5 The Woodlands TX
SO#8 Southlake Carroll TX
SO#10 Ursuline TX
Atascocita TX
Belton TX - TX 5A #10 ranked
Bishop McGuinness OK - 4A state champs
Cameron Yoe TX
Cypress Woods TX
FEAST Home School TX
Lamar TX - TX 5A #9 ranked
Marcus TX
Mustang OK
Rogers AR - 7A state runner-up
Seven Lakes TX
Socorro TX
BOYS VARSITY ENTRIES:
Baytown Sterling
Brazoswood
C.E. Byrd
Cameron Yoe
Cedar Park
Corpus Christi Carroll
Dobie
Fort Bend Austin
Foster
Friendswood
Georgetown
Houston Westside
John Cooper School
Katy Taylor
Kinkaid
Klein Collins
Klein
Lockhart
Lufkin
Lutheran South
Marcus
McKinney North
Mission
Monsignor Farrell NY
Morton Ranch
Oak Ridge
Socorro
Spring
St. Pius X
Strake Jesuit
The Woodlands
Waller
Westfield
GIRLS VARSITY 5000-meter ENTRIES:
C.E. Byrd
FEAST Home School
Kingwood
Kinkaid
Lamar
Marcus
McKinney North
Mission
Socorro
The Woodlands
GIRLS VARSITY 3200-meter ENTRIES:
SO#7 Clear Lakes
Atascocita
Baytown Sterling
Brazoswood
Cameron Yoe
Cedar Park
FEAST Home School
Fort Bend Austin
Foster
Friendswood
John Cooper School
Katy Taylor
Kingwood
Kinkaid
Klein Collins
Klein Oak
Lufkin
Magnolia
Magnolia West
Morton Ranch
Oak Ridge
Pharr San Juan Alamo
Seven Lakes
Spring
Waller
Westfield
SCHEDULE: 8:00 am Boys Varsity Elite 5k
8:30 am Girls Varsity Elite 5k
9:00 am Boys Varsity 5k
9:30 am Award Presentation - Elite Boys
9:45 am Girls Varsity 5k
10:15 am Award Presentation - Elite Girls
10:30 am Boys JV I 5k
11:00 am Boys JV II 5k
11:30 am Award Presentation Varsity Boys and Girls
11:40 am Girls Varsity II 2-mile
11:50 am Girls JV I 2-mile
12:20 pm Award Presentation JV I and II Boys
12:30 pm Girls JV II 2-mile
1:00 pm Boys Freshmen 2-mile
1:30 pm Award Presentation Varsity II and JV I Girls
1:40 pm Award Presentation JV II Girls and Freshmen Boys
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