National Scholastic Athletics Foundation

The following are some of the top national and regional highlights for the past week of the 2013 prep cross-country season, through meets of Sept. 14.  Highlights are alphabetical, by state, with the most significant meets followed by additional key performances (“Also ...”).  NSAF meet credentials of notable athletes are in italics.  Team and individual ranking references are from DyeStat.com latest national and regional rankings -- except when otherwise noted.

CALIFORNIA - Baxter opens fast; De la Rosa beaten

Fastback Shootout, Sept. 14, Mt. SAC, Walnut, 1.9M – US#2 and defending NXN champ Simi Valley sr Sarah Baxter debuted for 2013 with a 10:43.12 (19 seconds better than her 2012 time) win in the senior race, winning by 1:17.  In merged scoring, CA#1 Simi Valley girls had a 4-pt. edge on CA#5 Great Oak.
On the boys’ side, CA#6 Great Oak rolled with 59 merged to 187 for Glendora and 223 for Long Beach Poly.  Fastest overall was Big Bear jr Caleb Webb 9:39.70.

Laguna Hills Invite, Sept. 14, Dempsey XC Course, 3M – In the boys’ senior race, San Pedro sr Steve Correa handed US#1 Arcadia sr Estevan De La Rosa (2nd in NXN Finals last fall) an early loss, 14:51 to 15:09.  Team-wise, the CA#1 Arcadia and #2 Dana Hills boys were on hand, but they were well back in the merged team scoring in 7th and 5th, with CA#20 Canyon of Anaheim scoring best at 121 points. 
CA#6 Capistrano Valley was the top-ranked school coming in for girls and lived up to that with a 96-point total, merged, ahead of Vista Murrieta 102.  Northwood sr Bethan Knights was fastest overall at 17:36.

Also ... Davis soph Fiona O’Keeffe was fastest at the Sac State Hornet Jamboree (Sept. 14, Granite Regional Pk, 5k) with 17:36.0 ... DeLaSalle sr Blair Hurlock outlegged everyone at the Ed Sias Invite (Sept. 14, Hidden Lakes Pk, Martinez, 2M) with a 9:42.3 2M, leading a 1-2-3 finish for his CA#3/US#15 team.  The CA#2/US#15 St. Francis (Sacramento) girls also won easily here.

COLORADO - Unusual DQ at flood-affected Liberty Bell

Liberty Bell Invite, Sept. 13, Heritage course, Littleton, 5k – In a field already weakened due to teams unable to attend due to the catastrophic flooding in Colorado, the boys’ D1 race was doubly unusual as the apparent victors Albuquerque Academy NM – a long-time power with great success here under esteemed coach Adam Kedge – was disqualified for behavior in the chute that was “rude,” “disrespectful,” and “disruptive,” according to officials in a report by Milesplit’s Don Rich.  Kedge did not dispute the ruling and the title went instead to Arapahoe with 38 points, followed by Doherty 94, Smoky Hill 114, and Cherokee Trail 141.
Albuquerque Academy did win the girls D1 race with 64 points over Legacy 97, Regis 100 and Grandview 109.  Legacy’s Emma Gee triumphed in 18:04, followed by Grandview’s Erin Norton 18:13 and Arapahoe’s Emily Wolff 18:23.  The boys’ individual winner was Arapahoe’s Louis Hood in 15:53.
Heritage edged Rock Canyon, 84-89, in a very competitive boys’ D2 race, with Pine Creek’s Zachary Alhmara running the fastest time of the day at 15:31.  Pine Creek had the individual sweep, in fact, as Kaleigh Kroeker won with 18:28, and her team won with 52 (and the day’s fastest team average) to 73 for Thunder Ridge.

CONNECTICUT - Barrington RI girls invade Hartford

Hartford Riverfront Festival, Sept. 14, 5k – The NE#3 Barrington RI girls came in and got a victory over traditional CT power Glastonbury, 40-52, in the small 6-team field.  A tight battle for the girls individual title saw Immaculate sr Carley Schuyler 18:40.1 edge Newton South MA soph Rebecca Grusby 18:41.2 and Rockville soph Haley Hasty 18:41.7.
The Capital Prep boys started fast, with jr Dhahran Velaquez 15:42.6 leading a 1-2-4 finish, and held on to top Fairfield Prep, 38-43.

IDAHO - Armstrong wins, Pocatello nipped

Tiger/Grizz Invite, Sept. 13, Freeman Park, Idaho Falls, 5k – US#6 junior Elijah Armstrong won the varsity ‘A’ race in 15:49.8, but his NW#11 Pocatello team fell a point short of NW#9 Bozeman MT, 107-108, with Mountain View at 112 and Rocky Mountain 155.  Armstrong was the NBNI 5,000 champ in March, then 3rd with a fast 14:28.97 in the same race at NBNO in June.
Mountain View’s Sam McKinnon won the girls’ Varsity ‘A’ race in 18:49.1, but Bozeman took the next three spots and won with 43 points, followed by Idaho Falls 131 and Rocky Mountain 151.  Bozeman sr Caroline Hardin, former state champ trying to come back from injury, won the JV race in 20:35.5.

ILLINOIS - 2A runners fastest at F2TF

First to the Finish Invite, Sept. 14, Detweiller Park, Peoria, 3M – MW#3/US#12 Naperville North girls rolled with 4 in the top 7 and 35 pts in 3A race (Hinsdale Central 81, Naperville Central 151).  Buffalo Grove’s Kaitlyn Ko ran 17:00.96 to edge Hinsdale Central frosh Alexa Haff 17:02.66.  The best time of the day was in the 2A race, though, from Woodstock sr Maura Beattie 16:52.50 (after Riverside-Brookfield’s Mailin Struck misjudged the finish), with soph Skyler Bollinger leading MW#8 Yorkville’s win with a runner-up finish.
Yorkville jr Jake Hoffert carried the day, time-wise, with a 2A 14:31.44 win over twin Luke Hoffert (14:39.46), but MW#8 Illiana Christian overcame Yorkville for the team title.  MW#13 Hinsdale Central crushed the boys’ 3A field with 60 pts (Buffalo Grove 183), though their #1 Bill Magnesen was edged by Fishers IN sr Calvin Kraft, 14:36.22 to 14:36.86.

MICHIGAN - Belf ascends among nat'l elite

MSU Spartan Invitational, Sept. 13, Forest Akers, East Lansing, 5k – US#38 Birmingham Seaholm junior Audrey Belf stamped herself high among the recent wave of super Michigan girls, running a course-record 17:14 in the girls’ elite race that topped the 17:16 run by Erin Finn – the 2011 Foot Locker runner-up and 2012 New Balance Nationals Indoor 5,000 champ and national-record setter.  Belf herself was 7th in the NBN Outdoor 5,000 this past June after a 3rd in the NBNI 2M in March.  Rockford sr Lauren Brasure was 2nd in the elite race with 17:47.  The boys’ elite race went to Waterford Mott jr Ryan Robinson, who nipped Lansing Catholic jr Keenan Rebera, both at 15:28.
The girls’ team race also featured several Midwest- and nationally ranked teams.  MW#7/US#45 Northville scored 98 for a mild upset win over MW#5/US#20 Seaholm 106, MW#4/US#13 Saline 116, Hudsonville 126 and three other MW-ranked teams.  The boys’ team race saw Robinson-led Mott cruise to victory with 90 points over St. Joseph 151 and Northville 202.

Also ... World Youth 1,500 finalist and Grand Blanc jr Grant Fisher ran 15:30 at the Nike Holly Invite (Sept. 14, Springfield Oaks Park, Davisburg, 5k) to win by 17 seconds and lead his team to the D1 title in the meet. Fisher won the unseeded section of the NBN Outdoor mile in June to place 8th overall (1st soph).

MISSOURI - Huge wins for Werner, Perrier

Forest Park XC Festival, Sept. 14, St. Louis, 5k – US#14 Ste. Genevieve soph Taylor Werner dominated a showdown with US#13 state rival and Eureka jr Hannah Long, breaking her own CR in the Green division with a 16:47.2 to Long’s 17:37.1.  Nerinx Hall jr Sophia Racette was 3rd with 17:48.6.  Long was 2nd in the Great American ROC last fall and went on to 10th at Foot Locker Finals to 13th for Werner – who paced Ste. G. to the team title here.
A hot boys’ individual battle saw US#13 O’Fallon IL sr Patrick Perrier front his team’s winning Green division effort with a 15:03.0, beating US#4 defending champ Marquette sr Noah Kauppila 15:13.7, #69 Butler KY sr Patrick Gregory 15:14.2, and #43 Glendale sr Spencer Haik 15:15.6.  Perrier was 17th in the NBNO 2M in June, while Gregory was 24th at Great American last year.  MW#3/US#16 O’Fallon’s 125 points was followed by Rock Bridge 157 and Lafayette 159.

OHIO - Hadley upsets Elswick

Boardman Spartan Invite, Sept. 14, Youngstown, 5k – US#50 Mark Hadley, a fast-rising junior leading the host school, delivered a strong (though not shocking) upset as he edged US#7 Chardon sr Nick Elswick, 15:07.8 to 15:08.7.  Elswick’s preseason rep had a lot to do with the sterling runner-up finish he had in the NBNO 5,000 (14:28.73), where Hadley – a soph – was 19th in 15:01.17.  He’s obviously improved much since then.  Hadley was also 15th in the NBNI mile at 4:15.28.  The boys’ team race saw Olentangy Liberty forge a solid win with 111 pts in the 38-team field, followed by Boardman 147, and Louisville and NE#7 North Allegheny PA, both at 150.
Behind the completely dominant (1:01 margin) victory by soph Madeleine Davidson in 18:22.6, the North Allegheny girls triumphed with 115 pts to Nordonia’s 146 and Brunswick’s 165.

OREGON - Donaghu nips Efraimson

Pier Park Invite, Sept. 13, Portland, 5k – This small, but elite meet featured three of the top six girls teams in the region and two of the best individuals.  US#15 Grant soph Ella Donaghu surprised US#4 World Youth 1,500 bronze medalist and Camas WA jr Alexa Efraimson in a photo finish, 17:28.53 to 17:28.63.  Efraimson was also the NBNO 800 runner-up in June.  The St. Mary’s duo of US#24 sr Paige Rice and soph Lacey Conner was a minute back, but led their NW#6/US#74 team over NW#5/US#48 Camas, 35-51, followed by NW#3/US#42 Jesuit 59 and Grant 93.
The boys field included NW#3 Central Catholic, which triumphed behind a 15:50.40 win from US#31 sr Kyle Thompson.

PENNSYLVANIA - O'Hara opens strong

Spiked Shoe Invite, Sept. 14, Penn State course, University Park, 5k – University WV sr Amelia Paladino took a good battle with Mt. Lebanon soph Kelsey Potts, 17:38-17:50, but Potts’ NE#7 team had the depth to triumph with 61 pts in the 23-team field, 53 ahead of State College.
For the boys, State College scored 57 to top Carlisle 64, with University WV 3rd at 111.  Carlisle jr Zach Brehm won with 15:46, ahead of South Williamsport jr Griffin Molino 15:54.

Bulldog Invite, Sept. 14, Rose Tree Pk, Media, 5k – Junior Kevin James CR 15:12.5 paced NE#8 Cardinal O’Hara to an easy victory with 27 points in the 17-team boys’ large school field, with West Chester East (109 pts) and their senior Chris Cummings (15:30.7) occupying the runner-up spots.
Central Bucks East put 3 in the top 6 to win with 40 pts over North Penn (85) on the girls’ side.  Methacton sr Kara Steinke ran 18:18.4 to win by 24 ticks over CBE soph Elizabeth Huuki 18:42.7.

SOUTH DAKOTA - Poe three-peats

Nike Heartland Preview, Sept. 14, Yankton Trails, Sioux Falls, G-4k/B-5k – Lincoln North Star NE jr Jeralyn Poe won for the 3rd straight time here, running a PR 13:52.03 and prevailing by 45 seconds.  She’s also the 2-time Nebraska ‘A’ state champ.  Rapid City Central won the girls team title with 62 points, to Harrisburg’s 70 and Madison’s 74.  Lincoln North Star rolled to the boys title with 19 points, while Sturgis Brown’s Jacob Simmons triumphed individually with 16:41.47.

WASHINGTON - Killer top 4 for Gig boys

Sundodger Invite, Sept. 14, Lincoln Park, 5k – The region’s finest boys – US#3 Seattle Prep sr Joe Hardy and US#2 team Gig Harbor – got their seasons going here as Hardy triumphed with a swift 14.47.2 and Gig had a quartet of runners at 15:08-09, placing 3rd-6th.  The team champs were paced by sr Mahmoud Moussa, a transfer from Arcadia CA, and even with a 5th man in 45th they won with 63 to NW#6 Kamiakin’s 91.  Garfield sr Cameron Stanish was 2nd in 14:58.22.
Gig had an individual triumph on the girls’ side as jr Brenna Peloquin beat Prairie sr Nicole Goecke, 17:40.15 to 17:44.48.  Team-wise, it was Eisenhower 91, Glacier Peak 118, Central Valley 119 and NW#11 Henry Jackson 128.

UTAH - Morton over McMillan this time; Davis sweeps

Herriman Invite, Sept. 13, 5k – In what were reported as brutally muddy conditions, the SW#1/US#3 American Fork boys got the win with 36 pts, followed by SW#8 Bingham 84 and Timpanogos 86.  US#10 Alta sr Kramer Morton avenged his loss to AF#1 (US#66) Connor McMillan from the Grass Relays with a 17:31 – followed by McMillan 17:47 and his teammate Zachary Jacklin 17:54.
Bingham – with a 1-2 finish from Marlee Mitchell 22:08 and Whitney Rich 22:12 – nipped Timpanogos, 33-34, for the girls’ title (sans American Fork), with Jordan 3rd with 82. 

BYU Invite, Sept. 13-14, Provo, 5k – Davis swept this major fixture, with its SW#4 girls completely dominating with 26 pts, while its SW#5 boys had a much closer challenge.  The girls were led by Aubrey Argyle in 18:43.6, pacing a 1-3-5-8-9 finish, while Maple Mountain’s Britney Lund was 2nd in 18:48.3.  SW#5 American Fork followed in the team standings among 24 teams with 134, then Orem 180 and SW#15 Lehi 194.
For the boys, Davis scored 85, 18 up on SW#7 Lone Peak (103), with Desert Hills 125, Orem 133 and SW#10 Westlake 138 next in the standings.  Lone Peak’s US#63 Clayson Shumway won by about 10 seconds in 16:06.7, with Riverton’s Brady Earley 2nd with 16:16.5.

VIRGINIA - SE powers do battle at Knights Crossing

Knights Crossing Invite, Sept. 14, Cave Spring HS, 5k – In the girls’ Red race, Oakton jr Allie Klimkiewicz won the individual battle – running 18:10.2 for the victory, beating Mt. Tabor NC sr Kayla Montgomery 18:14.1, Cave Spring sr Katie Fortner 18:28.4, and Broughton NC sr Megan Sullivan 18:36.8.  But SE#7 Blacksburg VA, fronted by 5th-place finisher Bonnie Angermeier, won the team war.  They scored 43 pts to top SE#4 Oakton 71, Morristown-West TN 80, and Broughton 128.
SE#3 Broughton NC took the boys’ Red race with 34 pts, using a 2-4 finish from seniors William Roberson (15:39.8) and Asher Smith-Rose (15:48.8), to finish well up on SE#4 McCallie TN 79, #12 Blacksburg 97 and Oakton 116 in the 30-team field.  George Washington sr Matthew Brafford rolled by 18 seconds, clocking 15:21.8.  Oakton sr John Stoney finished between the two Broughton runners in 3rd with 15:45.9.