What an exciting week for the Hornets!! Jambo 2 and Marauder!
For those just joining race notes, Saline varsity and open runners won Jambo 1. Don't let the scores on anet fool you. Either way you score the meet, Saline won Jambo 1. On Tuesday, we traveled to TTUN for Jambo 2 (which was hosted by Skyline).
In the varsity race, we knew we had a tough assignment. TTUN is a strong team and our athletes had to execute their race plan to perfection. I could spend a ton of time here, but at the end of the race, each of the varsity runners ran their race plan perfectly!! We ended up with 31 points to TTUN's 47. We won Jambo 2!!
The unsung hero of the varsity race was an athlete who did not even run in it. About 30 minutes before race time, one of the athletes was not feeling well and was not sure if she would be able to race. Riley Provost was curled up on a blanket, AirPods in, fast asleep. I tapped her on the leg to get her attention and then told her I needed her to warm up "just in case". She nodded her head, got up, put on her shoes, grabbed her friend Ayla Stager and off they went for a warm up. We had her number pinned on her jersey and she was ready to run. About 10 minutes before race time, we told Riley she was off the hook. She went on to place 4th in the open race about an hour later. Riley was a true team player on Tuesday and we made sure to celebrate her willingness to do whatever the team needed her to do. Thank you, Riley!!!
In the open race, the team continued their winning ways. We won the open race with 35 points, ahead of Skyline's 60 points and Dexter with 78 points. In addition to being team champions, we had the individual champion in Mahalia Staton!
Marissa Salazar, Claire Oberski, Emma Allis, Isabella Routson and Olivia Lewis all had PR's on a rather challenging TTUN course.
I will round out the coverage of Jambo 2 with something I shared with the team on Wednesday: I finally found something I like about TTUN - we always run well on their home XC course!! 😀 Tuesday was a great day and we could not be any prouder of what these athletes accomplished!
Marauder
For those of you familiar with Lake Erie Metropark, it will be no surprise that when we pulled into the park, it was windy and raining. In my opinion, these types of days are the best cross country weather. At least it was not 37 degrees!
Our varsity athletes were the first to race. For the 2nd time this week, Mahalia Staton was the first Saline finisher in her race and she PR'd! It's been a great week for her! She was followed by Riley Provost and Abby Roth in 21st and 22nd. Lizzie Thibeault and Jillian Hayes were the next Hornets in 33rd and 34th place. Kylie Warner was 38th and, as I look at the results, appears to have outkicked the daughter of my high school teammate 😀. Carrie Schwartz was the final Hornet to cross the finish line in the varsity race. Our varsity team ended up placing 5th.
The open race was exciting! From the start, Kennedy Lange was high up in the race. Eventually, she found herself in 2nd place, with first place in her sights. She was doing all of the right things - eyes up, working ahead and gaining ground. She ended up holding on to 2nd place in a PR of 22:32. It was a great race to watch! Behind her, Mia Washington turned in her best race of the season, finishing in 3rd in 23:13. She was followed by Marissa Salazar, Grace Gady (with a PR), Hannah Gritzmaker, Kailyn Austin and Payton Aagesen rounded out the top 7. For the 2nd meet in a row, our open runners were the winners of their race.
Not to be outdone by her sister, Lola Lange also ran a PR on the muddy course. She was joined by Isabella Routson (again!!), Kat Szura, Olivia Lewis, Dahlia Dell'Orco and Dylan Erickson all with PR's on a challenging day.
As the coaches were huddled around trying to keep warm between races, we noted how far the team has come over the last few weeks and we're excited for what lies ahead.
This week, part of the team will venture to a race in East Lansing. While this is new to the girls, the boys have gone for the last several years. Coach Boze assures me it is a fast course so we are looking forward to some fast results! Other team members will head to Portage on Saturday. While there, we will face Romeo and Holland West Ottawa (the top 2 teams in the state), Brighton, TTUN and Northville. It will be a great day for some fast races.