TF cross country prepares for post season

The Blue Hawk cross country season is winding down, but the energy and enthusiasm from the Thompson Falls team isn't slowing.

The Hawks competed last week in the Mission Shadow run at the Silver Fox Golf Course on the Salish Kootenai College campus. "It was an interesting course with hay bales and a log as obstacles that the athletes had to maneuver over, and hairpin turns," junior high coach Holly Franck said. High school coach Sarah Naegeli added that the course was grassy with lots of rolling hills, but the team enjoyed a cooler, beautiful fall day of competition.

Eighth grader Aubrey Baxter ran a personal record, finishing in the top three in 21 minutes, 15 seconds. Naegeli said that Baxter ran over two miles of the race by herself. "She passed to the lead and ended up essentially racing the golf cart," Naegeli said.

The Mission Shadow run had a unique format in that runners started in seven different waves. The first-place runners on each team started two minutes after the first wave of runners. "It makes for lots of fun passing and having a different finishing order, which tends to lead to some great PRs," Naegeli said, adding that runners are used to finishing in a particular order and when that order is changed, sometimes they find out they can have a different racing pace. Times were adjusted at Mission Shadow based on their start time.

Several Hawk runners had personal bests at Polson, including junior Cael Thilmony (18:18), who finished in the top 10, Simon Armstrong (21:56), Blake Shusterman (22:19), James O'Dowd (23:15), Jakob Molina (24:13), who had his best run by over a minute) and Maika Hammer (25:42). Wesley Powers finished in 23:41, Kellyn Carr 31:22 and Kylee Huff 27:11.

Franck said her young Hawks also set PRs in Polson, and several improved their times from the last two-mile course the team ran. Evan Lofthus took two minutes off his previous two-mile run time. "Having obstacles was a fun way to end our last meet on the road," Franck said. "We are looking forward to the Western B/C meet here in Thompson Falls and would love the community to come cheer us on."

Lofthus led the junior high boys (14:19), followed by Nathan Baxter (14:35), Noah Hill (15:03), Wyatt Franklin (16:32) and Remi Ryan (16:53). For the girls, Audrey Fairbank led the Hawks (14:12), followed by Lexi Franck (14:52), Brooke Flemmer (18:40) and Addie Traver (19:29).

Naegeli and Franck competed in the open run at Polson, as did manager Sean Nowlan. "It was fun for us to experience the course and jumps to understand what our racers work through, and to realize what great competitors they are," Naegeli said. She noted that coaches Jeneese Baxter and Doree Thilmony also competed in the 11 Miles to Paradise run on Sunday along the Clark Fork River, and Franck competed in a half marathon two weeks ago. "Lots of running for everyone on our team this weekend."

The Hawks will host the Western B/C Divisional meet on Wednesday at River's Bend Golf Course. Racing begins with the middle school girls at 1 p.m. Full details are available at http://www.scledger.net.