INDEX:
Heartland Happy
- - -
There's something to be said about biding time in cross country.
It's not a new strategy. In fact, it's employed quite often: Hold steady, and then hold tight, and ultimately be ready when the pace picks up.
In reality, it's tougher than it seems to kick into gear when that time comes.
But Saturday's final 200 meter wager at the Team Heartland Region was certainly owned by one certain runner, and his name is Gabe Hinrichs.
The Elkhorn South (NE) senior, coming off a brilliant state championship performance -- his third since May -- absolutely exploded in the final minute of action at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux City, South Dakota heading off to the races en route to the win in 15:00.00, a new career best.
For a large spell, though, it was Hinrichs and Co.
On the clock was Robbinsdale Armstrong's (MN) Noah Breker, Minneapolis Southwest's (MN) Sam Scott and, for spurts, Valders' (WI) Shane Griepentrog.
The first two held on much in the same way Hinrichs did. But when the pace jacked up, neither could sustain that march to the line.
Breker finished second in 15:05.8, while Scott was fourth in 15:10.4. Logan Seger was third in 15;10.1 and Micah Blomker was fifth in 15:11.6.
The team race saw Minnesota's Wayzata (141) defeat Nebraska's Millard West (152), while Homestead (WI) was third.
In a normal year, all five of those athletes would be heading on to nationals.
Meanwhile, three girls dropped efforts at 17:10 or faster.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was STMA's Ali Weimer, who was seventh in this race in 2019, who came away with the win.
Hardly anyone else had the same experience.
Weimer, who was undefeated entering the race, held off Wisconsin champion Lauren Pansegrau -- a unique athlete who won two cross country titles in a year -- who finished in 17:08.7.
Hopkins' Sydney Drevlow was third in 17:10.7 while Anjali Hocker Singh was fourth in 17:11.5 and Alea Hardie was fifth in 17:27.4.
With little surprise, Edina (MN) once again owned the team race, producing the only team score under 100 points with 97.
Middleton, the Wisconsin state champion, was second with 123 while Highland Park was third with 130.
Northwest Magic
- - -
Let's start first with the Team Northwest Region race at Eagle Island Park.
A selection of the region's top talent -- runners from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, Wyoming, Montana and Hawaii -- came out to compete on a familiar course in Boise, Idaho on Friday, but in the end it was two rivals battling it out for the top spot in the final seconds.
In the final 1K, it was the Washington Class 4A state champion, Isaac Teeples, versus the Class 4A runner-up, Ethan Coleman.
The finish was flipped on its head.
Just a week after being defeated pretty definitively at the Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco, Washington, Coleman's performance made a complete U-turn as he downed the Kamiakin front-man with a winning time of 15:09.00.
It was Teeples' first loss of the season.
And it was a redemption of sorts for Coleman, who had a disappointing state race, finishing 35 seconds behind Kamiakin's No. 1 athlete.
Overall, it was a fair duel between two of Washington's top runners. But really, when you took a peak at the top 10, they were in some pretty elite company, too.
Daniel Simmons was third in 15:21.10, while Michael Maiorano was fourth in 15:22.60 and William Schneider was fifth in 15:24.10.
Idaho-based Luke Athay was sixth (15:35.40), while Benjamin Balazs was sixth (15:38.10), Grayson Wilcott was seventh (15:39.90), Matt Thompson was eighth (15:40.60), Zack Munson was ninth (15:42.30) and Finneas Colescott was 10th (15:43.20).
But while it was a majority Washington-domination up front, it was an Idaho sweep in the top two teem finishes, with Rocky Mountain (ID) once again handing Idaho Falls (ID) a whooping, scoring 101-192. Kamiakin was third with 202 points.
In the girls race, Kennewick's Macy Marquardt shined, defeating Washington Class 4A champion Ella Borsheim by six seconds to take the region title in 17:27.80.
Borsheim, a Washington recruit, was second in 17:33.90. Idaho state champion Nelah Roberts of Skyline was third in 17:50.10, and she was the remaining female under 18 minutes on the day.
For Marquardt, Washington's Class 3A champion last week, it was an especially good day, and an especially favorable season.
The senior ultimately produced four career best times at two miles, 2.5, three miles and 5K and improved over 100 seconds from the 2020 season.
Eastlake (WA) earned the girls title with 87 points. Rocky Mountain was second (119) while Hellgate was third (159).
That's some ridiculous development.
Midwest Unleashed
- - -
A new Forsyth is in town, and her name is Rachel.
Just three years after her sister, Anne, made a name for herself at Ann Arbor Pioneer, her younger sister Rachel stuck gold on Saturday, winning the Team Midwest Race at Terre Haute with an incredible performance of 17:58.5.
She was the only female athlete under 18 minutes on the day and held off Fort Wayne Homestead's Addison Knoblauch (18:11.8) and Indianapolis Cathedral's Lily Cridge (18:14.3).
Illinois' Aly Negovetich was fourth in 18:17.8 while Sarah Forsyth, Rachel's older sister, was fifth in 18:21.2.
York's girls scored the overall win with a dominating 49 points.
The team race saw an Ann Arbor Pioneer and Holland West running members of its club teams, but due to Michigan rules the teams could not score.
That being said, those two teams would have scored- second and third-place finishes.
Meanwhile, Andrew Hauser made his own statement in the boys championship, making a crucial surge in the final 800m to win in 15:44.3.
Hauser made the move, in fact, at a point when the race was hitting an important juncture, with Benzie Central's Hunter Jones and Angola's Izaiah Steury circling.
The Rock Bridge (MO) sophomore, however, never wavered, and looked better than ever following his Missouri state championship.
Jones was second in 15:48.6 while Steury was third in 15:53.2. Tommy Rice was fourth in 15:57.3 and Connor Ackley was fifth in 15:59.4.
The team race saw Illinois Class 3A champion Sandburg defeat Indiana state champion Brebeuf Jesuit by 21 points, 63-84. Downers Grove North was third with 123 points.