BlueWave XC “the Nationals Report”
Unseasonably hotter than usual temperatures greeted the 400+ athletes representing more than 80 colleges from across the country competing in Saturday's National Junior College Athletic Associations National Cross-Country Championship held at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee Florida.
The 1st race of the morning saw the BlueWave Women's team led for the 4th time this season by freshmen Zandi Pienaar and Lynn Winkler. Scorching fast last kilometers from Bonser, McWatters, Mathis, and Gray secured 17th place for the BlueWave women. In the last 1,000m of the race Meghan Bonser moved up 7 places, Whitney passed 5 runners, Abigail 6, and Kayliegh moved up a whopping 23 places in the last half of the race to record a new personal record of 22:12 over the hot and hilly 5,000m course.
"We saw a great racing effort today from this team. That last kilometer these ladies were still racing hard. And in the last half of this race Kayleigh McWatters was on fire! Her 4:20 last kilometer was awesome to watch!" commented Coach Jody Hale.
The men's race was contested an hour and a half later under a hot Florida sun. The men's team powered by a late race charge by Sophomore Adrian Figueroa, who passed 13 runners over the last 2 kilometers to lead freshmen Luke Williams, moving up 2 spots, Jaxon McKim, passing 3 runners, and Noe Benitez moving up 12 positions, placed the team securely in 14th place.
"It was too hot for fast times today but not too hot for this team to pass a combined 30 runners in the last 2k and move into 14th place. Regardless of the weather, they came to race and Adrian's 3:33 last kilometer was impressive." Added Coach Hale when asked about the men's team's performance.
When asked about next year's teams Coach Hale added "We have the best group of freshmen runners ever, we have 5 on the All-time Top 10 List returning and a few other's that are just seconds away from making the list coming back next year. It'll be our best year yet."