The match-up set for the Roy Griak Invitational, at the University of Minnesota Saturday, of Katie Flood (So., Dowling Catholic, IA) v. Emily Sisson (So., Millard North, NE), promised to be one to remember. However, the race will be remembered not as a great battle between two nationally elite runners, but rather a coming out party of sorts for Flood.
MileSplit's Roy Griak Invitational Meet Page
MileSplit's Roy Griak Invitational Coverage - Meet Summary
Girls
Emily Sisson (So., Millard North, NE) v. Katie Flood (So., Dowling Catholic, IA) proved to be everything and more. Many in attendance, and watching from afar, expected one of the girls to shine and the other to prove mortal, but no one knew whether it would be Sisson or Flood rising to the occassion.
Through the first mile of the race, Sisson and Flood went stride for stride, running through the mile marker in 5:40, with Foot Locker contender Lindsay Anderson (Sr., Leeds, ND) striding four seconds back from them. Into the second mile they went, with Flood breaking a little room around the half way point, then bit by bit Flood pulled away from Sisson, and that was that. Flood dominated the last mile of the race, finishing the race in 17:56, beating Sisson by 36 seconds. Sisson finished struggling to the line, obviously spent from the quick early pace. Coming in a surprise third, Kendra Gerk (Sr., Greeley West, CO) broke 19 minutes, leading her team to the team title. Anderson faded to sixth, finishing in 19:21.
With Gerk's third place effort, plus teammates Erica Hinchcliffe (So.) and Ashlee Smalley (Jr.) finishing in the top ten, Greeley West (CO) won the team title over Flood's Dowling Catholic (IA) squad 125-139. Coming in third, pre-race favorite Sioux Falls Roosevelt (SD) scored 162 points, while Minnesota favorite Burnsville finished fourth with 182 points.
Boys
Rob Finnerty (Sr., Burnsville, MN) entered Saturday's competition as the easy favorite, knowing that he was the class of the field. From the gun, Finnerty ran like a champion, not going out too hard, letting some athletes stay with him, but finishing stronger than everyone else after the half way point, winning easily with a solid time of 15:57. Finnerty continues to prove why he is finally ready to take that next step to make Foot Locker Nationals.
Behind Finnerty came a slew of Minnesota talent. In second, Donny Wasinger (Sr., Winona Cotter) finished in 16:15. Coming in third, and finishing in 16:21, Jordan Carlson (Sr., Rosemount) led his U.S. ranked squad, however Rosemount looked very sub-par, finishing a disappointing seventh. Wayzata finished first for the team title race, beating Wisconsin's Marquette University H.S. 211-214, in a race decided by fifth men. The third place finisher, Shawnee Mission NW (MO), scored 236, barely beating Iowa's Pleasant Valley, who finished fourth with 239 points.