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Monday, November 6, 2006
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McAllister's all-state drive leads Brainerd STATE CROSS COUNTRY CLASS 2A Sports Writer NORTHFIELD - Hannah McAllister never wants to feel like she did at the end of last year's state cross country meet.
She wouldn't mind more finishes like she had Saturday at St. Olaf College in the Class 2A state girls' meet, though.
The Brainerd Warriors sophomore broke the school record with a 14:58.1 clocking, finished 20th and earned all-state honors to lead the Brainerd girls' team to eighth place.
Jenna Dean finished 40th, Megan Holmes 78th, Anna Gessell 91st and Courtney Wing 95th.
McAllister's time smashed Jenna Roberts' school record of 15:13 set in 2002.
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Brainerd cross country runner Hannah McAllister hugged her mother, Kathryn McAllister, after finishing 20th in the Class 2A girls' state cross country meet at St. Olaf College. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
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"I was so disappointed with last season that I worked my butt off," McAllister said. "I did everything possible this summer. I tried to not take any days off except for Sundays. It really helped for the first week of practice."
McAllister focused on going with the pack this season. Last year she started slow and her nerves caught up with her, leading to a frustrating 87th-place finish at state.
At the mile mark Saturday, McAllister said she felt good and when the lead pack broke away she went with them.
"I just told myself to hold on," she said. "After that first mile I was feeling pretty good and was thinking about going faster. Coach said to run your own pace so I coasted for that first mile, then I just picked it up."
McAllister said when she heard all-state was a possibility she wanted nothing less. But last year's race still lingered.
"I was nervous considering what happened last year, but that first mile felt good and I didn't tire like I did last year so I told myself I can do this," McAllister said. "I felt like I was working pretty hard at that two-mile mark, but coach said I had to pick it up and I thought, 'Well, OK.' So I did and caught up to this girl and eventually got her at the end."
Class 2A girls
Warriors way: Brainerd topped last year's finish, capturing eighth place
Top Brainerd individual: Hannah McAllister earned all-state honors and Jenna Dean earns everyone's respect
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Despite missing all but three races this season, Dean finished at 15:02.7. At the beginning of the season Dean was diagnosed with diabetes. Needless to say she was happy to just be able to run Saturday.
"I was surprised with my finish," said Dean. "I wanted to just go out easy, then just work my way up, kind of like I did at sections. I felt good until about the two-mile mark. Then, in diabetic form, that's when you kind of bonk and you just lose everything."
Dean said she keyed off of McAllister. She started passing people at the mile mark. At the two-mile mark she started getting passed.
"It's really hard - really, really hard," Dean said about fighting fatigue. "You have to have that eye of the tiger to just keep on going to the finish line. All your muscles just turn into rubber."
Holmes, who battled injuries all season, finished in 15:46.8. Gessell improved on last year's 108th-place finish. She too fought injuries this season, but ended at 15:56.8.
"We'll take eighth place," said Warriors coach Dave Herath. "I know the girls were looking for a little bit higher, but we beat last year's place and everyone returns and we had some very nice runs so we'll take it."
In her first state meet, Wing finished in a personal-best 16:00.0. She beat her previous best by five seconds.
"Anna and Megan have been dinged up all year and to just get them here and running within reason of their best times is super," Herath said. "They were a little down afterward. They thought they could have done a little bit better, but they did all they could do."
Katherine Mueller finished 127th and Kacie Bahr 144th.
Girls' 2A team scores: 1-Woodbury 87, 2-Minnetonka 118, 3-Eden Prairie 136, 4-Marshall 144, 5-Prior Lake 146, 6-Lakeville North 163, 7-White Bear Lake 165, 8-Brainerd 203, 9-Roseville 204, 10-Moorhead 207, 11-Maple Grove 225, 12-Osseo 255, 13-Lakeville South 297, 14-Duluth East 323, 15-St. Michael-Albertville 348, 16-Eagan 351
Individual champion: Alex Gits (Edina) 14:15.4
Brainerd: 20-Hannah McAllister 14:58.1, 40-Jenna Dean 15:20.1, 78-Megan Holmes 15:46.8, 91-Anna Gessell 15:56.8, 95-Courtney Wing 16:00.0, 127-Katherine Mueller 16:31.7, 144-Kacie Bahr 16:55.5
Jeremy Millsop, sports writer, can be reached at 855-5856 or at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com.
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