It was rainy, muddy, cold, and hazy throughout championship race day (Kyle Braziel photo)
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RESULTS I VIDEOS I PHOTOS
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Portland, Ore---
Typical rough conditions that coincide with championship racing at Glendoveer Golf Course are part of the badge that each athlete must earn to complete a successful cross-country mission. It was "true cross country," as some purists would say.
The girls went first at 10:05 a.m. PST, and the course was already saturated due to a steady rain that started before dawn.
It did not take the overwhelming favorite senior Jane Hedengren of Timpview, UT, to assume the lead and take charge. She turned a small lead at the first kilometer (3:13) into a huge deficit against the field. Her unofficial mile splits were 5:14 and 10:33; the rest is history: a ground-breaking win in 16:32.7.
The Midwest girls had one of their best-ever performances at the Nike Nationals, churning out four All-American spots led by runner-up Midland Dow, MI, Victoria Garces, who grinded the entire race in the top five and held off Elizabeth Leachman of Texas 17:13.4-17:13.7.
Barrington, IL, sophomore Mia Sirois capped off an impressive season by setting the all-time state record for three miles. It was only right that her performance in the City of Roses was equally potent. Sirois placed sixth in 17:16, one spot behind the defending champion junior Addison Ritzenhein of Colorado. Sirois' placement is the second best by an Illinois girl, but her time ranks #1 all-time.
Regional champion girls Downers Grove North finished 11th overall with 317 points. The Lady Trojans produced a nice 29-second scoring split. Alayna Todnem (Sr) led the charge with an 87th-place finish in 18:57.
The boys' side of the game was just as impressive. In an unofficial individual score, the Midwest boys placed second to the Southwest tea,m 87-88. Leading the way was Freeland, MI, senior TJ Hansen. Wearing one-inch spikes and using patience against a rugged course and competition. He went from 21st at the 1k to fifth with a kilometer to go. Hansen moved strong inside the final steps and essentially ran out of real estate- copping the runner-up spot in 15:30- two seconds behind surprise champion senior Charlie Vause of New Mexico.
The boys of Downers Grove North ran well even if they did not reach their goal of getting on the podium. The southwest region was dominant, sweeping all three podium spots led by Niwot, Colorado. The Trojans were sixth overall with 217 points. The key stat here was the 1:08 scoring split. Typically it has been inside of 40 seconds. Perhaps a top-five placement could have happened if they were closer to their average. Senior Grant Schroder was his team's top finisher in 24th place with a time of 15:56.
Ben Crane (Sr., New Trier) got the most out of his first big race, taking 14th at 15:44. "It was a tough race. I couldn't get it going like I wanted to," he said. Crane was able to move out of the 20s and into an All-American position.