Sunday, December 06, 2009
Stevens 2nd at Nike invitational
Kathleen Stevens leads Blacksburg to sixth among the nation's top squads.
varsity.roanoke.com
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Blacksburg's Kathleen Stevens capped her remarkable senior year cross country season Saturday with a runner-up finish at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore.
With twin Joanna just a few seconds back in ninth place, the Stevens sisters paced the Bruins to a sixth place finish in the team race of 22 of the top prep cross country squads in the nation.
"They had a great day," Blacksburg coach James DeMarco said after the race. "Everyone just ran really well."
River Ridge District rival Hidden Valley was 13th in the team race.
Annie LeHardy was the top Hidden Valley runner, finishing 52nd in 18:44.9.
"I said I thought we could finish in the top 15, and top 10 if we had a really great day," said Hidden Valley coach Dan King, whose team edged Blacksburg for Virginia's Group AA state title in early November. "And we were just 17 points out of 10th."
New York power Fayetteville-Manilus won the team title for the fourth consecutive year.
As the 199 runners started out on the soggy, European-style course at Portland Meadows, Kathleen and Joanna Stevens established themselves in a lead pack of about 10 girls.
Kathleen Stevens surged with about 250 meters remaining in the race and built a modest gap.
"She was in the lead with 50 meters left," said coach James DeMarco. "I thought she had it.
"It was exciting."
But Iowan Katie Flood, who was second in 2007, just out-kicked Stevens, finishing in 17:47.2 to Stevens' 17:48.6.
Joanna Stevens finished in 18:00.8.
Rounding out the scoring for the Bruins were Leah Fitchett in 98th, Hannah Brown in 117 and Sarah Dorrell in 133rd.
Behind LeHardy, Hidden Valley's scoring runners were Haley Cutright in 90th, Claire Sibley in 103rd, Carolyn Bethel in 131st and Mary Catherine Sowder in 159th.
Blacksburg and Hidden Valley are only the second and third girls teams from Virginia to qualify for the Nike Cross Nationals, which is in its sixth year.
"That tells you," DeMarco said, "just how good the distance running in Southwest Virginia is."
Nike Cross Nationals
Girls individual results
1. Katie Flood, Des Moines, Iowa, 17:47.2
2. Kathleen Stevens, Blacksburg, 17:48.6
3. Rebecca Mehra, Palos Verdes, Ca., 17:54.9
4. Ashlie Decker, Des Moines, Iowa,17:55.8
5. Eleanor Fulton, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 17:56.3
6. Rachel Johnson, Plano, Texas, 17:58.7
7. Haley Pierce, Wilmington, Del., 17:59.2
8. Madeline Chambers, Cleveland, Ohio, 17:59.8
9. Joanna Stevens, Blacksburg, 18:00.8
10. Sarah Andrews, Woodlands, Texas, 18:01.9
52. Annie LeHardy, Hidden Valley, 18:44.9
90. Haley Cutright, Hidden Valley, 19:15.2
98. Leah Fitchett, Blacksburg, 9:22.4
103. Claire Sibley, Hidden Valley, 19:23.9
117. Hannah Brown, Blacksburg,19:38.5
131. Carolyn Bethel, Hidden Valley, 19:57.4
133. Sarah Dorrell, Blacksburg, 19:58.2
159. Mary Catherine Sowder, Hidden Valley, 20:22
187. Lindsay Skolrood, Hidden Valley, 20:59
193. Kate Buss, Blacksburg, 21:14
194. Greta Weidner, 21:27.8
197. Tamzin Kaiser, Blacksburg, 21:40
