South Girls Ready To Rise
By Stephen Underwood
If the South girls don't represent big-time at the Foot Locker
Nationals in Orlando, it won't be for a lack of unity or experience.
Led by North Carolina's Laura Stanley - whose 17:34 just nipped
fellow Carolinian Carly Matthews and Florida's Kara Scanlin - all
four of the returning South team members that ran in the 2000 Finals
will be heading to Disney World again. That happy group also included
Scanlin and Texans Valerie Lauver and Brooke Stewart. Joining them
will be first-time finalists Matthews, Mindy Sullivan (TX), Jessica
Hellender (FL) and Julia Cathcart (MS).
When Stanley and Lauver met up after the race, they embraced, then
agreed that Southern pride will give them a little extra motivation
this year. Last year, only two members of the South team finished
in the top 18 in Orlando and none in the top 10. "I think the
South is the toughest it's been in a long time," said Lauver.
The race was certainly one of the toughest ever in the South region,
or on the legendary McAlpine Greenway. The top 11 smashed the 18
minute barrier, the first time that has happened in meet history.
Only twice (in 1983 and 1994) had all eight qualifiers broken 18
minutes. Seven of the eight are also seniors, with Stewart being
a junior.
A lot of the credit for the torrid pace has to go to North Carolina's
Julia Lucas. Injured this time last year and runner-up in the Carolina
4A state meet to Matthews, Lucas bolted to the lead and ran alone
through the mile in an eye-popping 5:17. A big group came by at
about 5:25, with Stanley, Cathcart, Scanlin, Lisa Cornelius (TX)
and Elly Kabboord (FL) among those heading it up. "I was a
little surprised she took it out like that," said Scanlin.
Stanley, however, said that was a tactic she had seen before from
Lucas.
Lucas continued to lead up a big hill a half mile later, with Sullivan,
Lauver, Hellender and Casey McGraw (NC) joining the others appearing
near the front. The Lucas lead was starting to shrink by 2M, with
Stanley and Scanlin starting to establish themselves within the
trailing pack. When the runners emerged from the woods in the final
half mile, Scanlin and Stanley were leading with Lucas sliding back
to what would be a 27th-place finish.
But it was Stanley who was strongest in the end, streaming in just
ahead of the fast-finishing Matthews (17:35) and Scanlin (17:36).
Several ticks later, Lauver, Sullivan and Hellender raced across
the line in a 2-second span (17:41-43).
Finally, it was Cathcart edging Stewart by a second for the last
two qualifying spots. Cathcart is the first qualifier ever from
Mississippi.
Not surprisingly, qualifying was first and foremost on the minds
of this fast-finishing bunch.
"I was thinking about winning, but basically I just wanted
to make sure I was up there," Stanley said. "I was thinking,
'Hold on. Almost there. Don't give up now.' Sometimes, you don't
want to have any regrets and the end of the race."
Said Matthews, "I held my position and held my pace. I think
everyone could have run faster, but most of us were just trying
to secure a position in the top 10."
"As long as I finished in the top eight, I was happy,"
said Scanlin, who was a place lower, but much faster than last year.
The Texas unity was present, too. The state has had seven qualifiers
the last two years. Lauver was excited, and also a bit relieved,
having been sick early last week. "There were a lot more good
people in this race."
The least likely repeater may have seemed like Stewart, who was
8th in the Texas 5A race. But, "she can pull out a meet when
she really has to," said Lauver.
"I was determined to go back to Orlando again," Stewart
said. "With a half mile to go, I ran as hard as I could."
One of the bigger surprises was Sullivan, who not only won the
Texas 5A meet (2 miles) as an 800 meter specialist, but had to travel
28 hours by bus to get to Charlotte. It was only her second 5k race,
but it turns out to be a good distance for her, at least at McAlpine.
"I'm good on hills and I surged up the ones here," she
said. "And the last mile was good."
Clearly, it was pretty good for each of the qualifiers. And this
group will likely be just as determined to have a good time as run
well in Orlando. "I was pretty nervous last year," said
Scanlin. "This time, I'm going to relax and enjoy it. You can
have a lot of fun and still run well."
GIRLS
1. Laura Stanley (NC) 17:34
2. Carly Matthews (NC) 17:35
3. Kara Scanlin (FL) 17:36
4. Valerie Lauver (TX) 17:41
5. Mindy Sullivan (TX) 17:42
6. Jessica Hellender (FL) 17:43
7. Julia Cathcart (MS) 17:48
8. Brooke Stewart (TX) 17:49
9. Keira Carlstrom (VA) 17:55
10. Elly Kabboord (FL) 17:56
11. Erika Schneble (NC) 17:59
12. Casey McGraw (NC) 18:02
13. Shannon Saunders (VA) 18:04
14. Jemissa Hess (VA) 18:06
15. Kristin Stroupe (NC) 18:07
Foot Locker South
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