Boys Varsity Race Story

 

Girls Varsity Race Story

 

Results and Photos on the Meet Page

 

 

 

Boys Varsity

 

Video Highlights

 

Craig Engels and his Reagan teammates charged to the lead right from the gun, and at the first turn the top 10 was indeed dominated by Reagan and Mount Tabor.

 

 

 

  The runners flew threw a half-mile loop in the woods, and when they emerged they headed up a winding hill toward the mile mark. 

Engels had a commanding individual lead, while the battle for the team title was being waged between 2nd and 12th. 

Mount Tabor's front four trailed close behind Jordan Marsh and Perry Cabean of Reagan, but the Spartans' 5th runner had some serious ground to make up.

 

 

 

 

At the halfway point of the two-mile race, there were 6 Reagan runners in the top 12, along with 4 from Mount Tabor.

Sam Williams (Bishop McGuinness) and Eric Royer (RJ Reynolds) had withstood the blistering initial pace and climbed into the top 10.

 

 

 

West Forsyth had three runners at the back of this extended lead pack, with their eye on moving up.

 

 

 

The second mile was a launching pad, if you had enough energy to use it.

A steep downhill led the runners to a long, gradual downhill path through the woods (normally run uphill on the 5K configuration).

Emerging once more near the starting line, the runners pushed themselves up the hill again and made their way backwards around the dirt track at Southwest Elementary.

Engels cruised in looking comfortable, with a 100-meter-plus lead over the next runner.

 

 

Marsh held off a hard charge from George Oliver (Mount Tabor) to secure the second spot, with Josh Copus fourth.

 

 

Cabean broke up the Tabor foursome, while Jason Creasy (Reagan) closed from behind them and eventually caught one Spartan.

 

 

 

That makes four Raiders and four Spartans, all seniors, completing the top eight runners in the meet.

Reagan had won the front four, 15-21, but both teams' fifth runners were still on the back side of the dirt track, and the race was not over.

Royer and Williams rounded out the top ten and led the way for the younger runners.

 

 

Dalton Nickel did indeed rise way up through the field to finish fifth for Mount Tabor, passing two Reagan runners in the last mile.

 

 

In the end, though, it wasn't quite enough, as Reagan prevailed 29-33.

The Raiders displayed much-improved depth, with their 6 and 7 right behind their #5.

 

 

The top 21 individuals were honored as all-county runners, a tradition started and perpetuated by Norman Trzaskoma himself.

 

 

 

 

 

Girls Varsity

 

Video Highlights

 

Kasey Skinner (West Forsyth), Sam Campanaro (Mount Tabor), and Chandler Borton (RJ Reynolds) surged to the early lead from the gun.

 

 

Reagan's girls got off to a poor start, with defending champion Kristen Henson buried in the middle of the first group.

 

 

 

By the time they emerged from the first short loop in the woods, though, Henson had sorted it all out and led the race.

As she made her way toward the mile mark, she was joined by Kathryn Hayes (West Forsyth), whose continued improvement is remarkable.

Noteworthy in her absence was Hayes' teammate Jennifer Noguiera, who is still dealing with an injury but received good news from doctors this week.

 

 

Borton, in her first high school race over 1 mile, had held her top-five spot as she followed Hannah Moerk (East Forsyth).

 

 

Sophie Capshaw-Mack (Reagan) and Campanaro rounded out the top 6 at the midway point of the race.

 

 

Carly Kreber of Bishop McGuinness was solidly in the top 10, along with Skinner.

 

 

The battle for the team title was being waged in the second 10 runners, and Reagan was winning that battle at the 1 mile mark.

 

 

 

 

 

At the top of the long downhill section, Henson made her move and took command of the race, looking strong all the way to the finish.

 

 

The top three was clearly defined and evenly spaced, with Hayes second and Borton third in her first cross country race.

Capshaw-Mack gave her all to hold off Campanaro for the fourth spot.

 

 

 

 

Skinner and Moerk fought hard down the stretch, with the Titan eventually triumphing over the Eagle.

Brittney Brinson (Reagan) showed she has worked very hard to improve with her 8th-place finish, as did fellow sophomore Kreber in 9th.

 

 

 

Mount Tabor's group of 10th- and 11th-graders did finally assemble together and move up, led by Kayla Montgomery (look out for the Spartans next year).

It was a bit too late, though: Reagan's Ashley Brubaker had closed the door, and Bryanna Marin locked it for the Raiders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reagan prevailed 41-60, showing solid depth and fairly good spacing; if they improve as they have during past seasons, they will be strong.