The first major weekend of competition showed some great results across the nation. Big meets in Texas, Colorado and Nevada dotted the calendar, with some surprising and not so surprising performances. See what took place in our weekly "Weekend Highlights" section.
Weekend Highlights (8/29 - 8/31)
Nevada Twilight Classic (NV)
Bryan Tibaduiza (Sr., Galena, NV) (pictured left by Margot Kelly) went into Friday's Nevada Twilight Classic with one goal, that of simply winning the race. From the gun Tibaduiza raced agressively, tackling the 4k course, and in the end simply running away from his competition, leaving them far behind to battle for second.
Tibaduiza ran a great time of 13:34, winning the race by 29 seconds over in-state competitor Wade Meddles (Sierra Lutheran, NV). Meddles outkicked third placer Garrett Seawell (Woodcreek, CA) 14:03-14:09. Taking home the team title in the boys race was Reno (NV). The squad placed three in the top 14, and their top five in the top 30, as the team made a statement showing they will be the team to beat in Nevada this year. Reno beat Carlmont 88-134 for the top spot.
The girls race was even more exciting in the team competition, as Woodcreek (CA) narrowly edged out South Tahoe (NV) 49-54 for the team title. South Tahoe got a great start to the race, as Kelsey Smith and Shelby McIntyre finished 1-2 respectively, running 16:25 and 16:32.
However, Woodcreek finished 5-6-8, balancing out South Tahoe's great talent up front. Both squads made a strong statement that they have the strength up front and depth to be contenders in nearly every meet they run in this season.
The Woodlands Friday Night Lights (TX)
Meet Page & Results / TXRunning.com Meet Coverage
Many of the top teams in Texas took part in the annual kick-off classic, the Woodlands Friday Night Lights. This event takes place under the lights at night, with the boys running 2.8 miles and the girls running two miles. While a few teams sat out some of their better runners, the competition still showed the great talent that Texas seems to showcase year in and year out.
On the girls side, The Woodlands took home the title on their home course, placing their top five in the top 12 finishing positions, and their top seven in the top 18. Led by individual champion Sarah Andrews, The Woodlands best runner-up Kingwood Park 30-78. Andrews crushed the field, winning the race by 35 seconds, winning in 11:19.27. Bree Schrader (Kingwood Park, TX) finished second overall in 11:54.48.
The boys side was equally as exciting. The Woodlands, one of the top ranked teams in the country, sat out the majority of their top seven, however, the squad still placed third overall with 102 points. Winning the team title was Klein Oak, who bested Katy Seven Lakes 43-52 for the top prize. Katy Seven Lakes rested one of their top runners for the second meet in a row, Chase Rathke, who if running 100% gives this squad a huge lift.
Individually, Jimmy Welin (Katy Seven Lakes, TX) took home the top prize, beating the rest of the field by nine seconds, finishing in 14:19.48. Welin pulled away and looked strong over the final mile of the race. Klein Oak was led by Ryan Dohner and Cody Widener, who placed third and fourth respectively.
Pennsylvania Highlights (PA)
Pennsylvania Weekend Highlights
At the Viking Invitational Friday night, PA #1 Emmaus (pictured right by Don Rich) girls topped the competition in grand fashion, placing five in the top 14, getting their season off to a quick start. The team tallied a mere 31 points, outdistancing PA #6 Council Rock North rather easily. For more weekend highlights in Pennsylvania make sure to check out PennTrackXC.com.
Poudre SD Pre-State Cross Country Invitational (CO)
For the past few years Evan Appel (Sr., Dakota Ridge, CO) (pictured with white top & black shorts, by Ken Regan) and Bobby Nicolls (Sr., Regis, CO) (pictured far right by Ken Regan) have shown that they are two of the top distance runners in the country. Appel qualified for Foot Locker Nationals his sophomore and junior seasons, while Nicolls qualified for Foot Locker Nationals last fall as a junior. This season both athletes are working towards a national title, as they are the top two returnees from Foot Locker Nationals in '07.
Living close to one another, it was guaranteed that Appel and Nicolls would see each other at some point this season before their state meet, but on Thursday the Appel v. Nicolls rivalry kicked-off at the Poudre SD Pre-State Cross Country Invitational. Read Entire Article
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