Packer girls win home CC Invite
Published 12:53 am Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Madison Overby heads for a second-place finish at the Austin Invitational Tuesday at River Oaks Golf Course. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
The Austin girls ran as a team and it paid off as they took first out of five teams, while the Austin boys took third out of six teams at a cross country invite at River Oaks Tuesday.
Austin's Nate Schwab leads the pack during the boys' varsity race of the Austin Invitational Tuesday at River Oaks. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Austin’s top four runners — Madison Overby, McKenzie Besel, Haley Splinter, and Justice Tabor — spent the first mile of the race running side by side in an effort to motivate each other and it paid off.
“It was really nice to have our team together,” said Overby, an eighth grader who took second. “They pushed me along and I think it was good for them too, because they sped up their times.”
Besel finished third, Splinter was fourth and Tabor finished sixth as the Packers edged out Albert Lea.
“We put our runners together and it worked out perfectly for everybody,” Austin head coach Tony Einertson said. “To have four girls finish under 16 minutes is absolutely fantastic.”
For the second straight race, Overby trailed AL’s Chrissy Monson down the stretch. Monson won by just under five seconds.
Lyle/Pacelli's Sarah Kahle finishes seventh at the Austin Invitational Tuesday at River Oaks Golf Course. - Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Overby doesn’t mind trailing one of the state’s best runners and she’s learning a lot with every meet.
“She’s a huge motivator for me. Every race I look for her and I just try and run with her,” Overby said of Monson. “That’s my goal and I think I’ve been doing pretty well with that so far. I feel a lot more confident this year. Last year I was always really nervous.”
Nate Schwab finished third in the boys meet for Austin and Andrew Baker took fourth with a career best time of 17:13.96.
“Those two ran real good races,” Einertson said. “Andrew has been doing a new career best every other week.”
Drew Chapek and Jonathon Koppa had personal best times for the Pacelli boys, who took sixth, at the meet and Sarah Kahle and Madeline Kraemer had personal best times for the Pacelli girls.
BOYS RESULTS
Austin: Nate Schwab (third, 17:09.19); Andrew Baker (fourth, 17:13.96); Mason Wallwesheim (13th, 18:33.34); Sandaval Lopez (14th, 18:34.41); Micah Kelly (21st, 18:53.08); Ben Walker (22nd, 18:54.15)
Pacelli: Drew Chapek (28th, 19:28); Jonathan Koppa (44th, 20:09); Stephen Juenger (50th, 20:30); Kevin Juenger (83rd, 26:06); Anthony Servellon (88th, 33:06)
GIRLS RESULTS
Austin: Madison Overby (second, 15:11.59); McKenzie Besel (third, 15:36.19); Haley Splinter (fourth, 15:38.61); Justice Tabor (sixth, 15:57.62); Jenna Grabau (33rd, 18:00.06); Martha McDermott (37th, 18:15.54)
Pacelli: Sarah Kahle (7th, 16:03); Madeline Kraemer (eighth, 16:15); Katherine Ethen (55th, 20:19)
