Girls a Close Second to Uni at NCS Championship
For the 5th year in a row, the girls team qualified for the State Championship by finishing in the top 6. Racing in the strongest league in the state, perhaps in any sport and any division level, the girls turned back strong efforts from Branson, College Prep, Convent, and MA to take second, just 10 points behind UHS, the defending state champions.
Led by Molly Dicke's 3rd place finish, the highest finish ever by a Lick girl at NCS, and Andie von Eschen's 11th place finish, the girls team gave Uni a tough fight for first and held off the superb team from Branson, which was led by the race winner, Julia Maxwell, who turned in the fastest time by any girl regardless of division at the race. Molly's time was good enough for 16th overall on the day (counting all 5 divisions) and earned her a spot on the All NCS 3rd team. The first time a Lick girl or boy has earned that honor.
Hannah Rosenthal turned in her best race of the year to take 15th; Julia Thompson was 24th. Our top 5 scorers were rounded out by freshman Maddy Nakada, running her best race of the year and first holding a sub-7:00 pace, who placed 29th, with fellow freshman Eva Laxo four places farther back--the best 6th team member finish in the race. Emma Wexler, just recovering from illness, ran a good race to finish 76th in the field of 139 runners.
Led by Molly Dicke's 3rd place finish, the highest finish ever by a Lick girl at NCS, and Andie von Eschen's 11th place finish, the girls team gave Uni a tough fight for first and held off the superb team from Branson, which was led by the race winner, Julia Maxwell, who turned in the fastest time by any girl regardless of division at the race. Molly's time was good enough for 16th overall on the day (counting all 5 divisions) and earned her a spot on the All NCS 3rd team. The first time a Lick girl or boy has earned that honor.
Hannah Rosenthal turned in her best race of the year to take 15th; Julia Thompson was 24th. Our top 5 scorers were rounded out by freshman Maddy Nakada, running her best race of the year and first holding a sub-7:00 pace, who placed 29th, with fellow freshman Eva Laxo four places farther back--the best 6th team member finish in the race. Emma Wexler, just recovering from illness, ran a good race to finish 76th in the field of 139 runners.
The rain by the time the girls raced, the third race of the day, had made the course worse: slippery, the mud deeper and more prevalent. The girls got out well and put themselves in the top third of the field. Andie and Molly up near the front group. Hannah and Julie in the pack behind. Eva, Maddy, and Emma all in the top third or so.
At the first mile, Branson’s fantastic runner, Julia Maxwell, had already ended the race for first and was now her only competition was the course record. As expected, her teammate Anna Harleen was running a strong second and clear of the rest of the lead group. That group consisted of Mendocino’s Erin Thomas, Uni’ Jenni Callan, St. Joe’s Kimberly Avalos, and our Andie von Eschen and Molly Dicke.
In the next group of runners, University’s Lizzy Teerlink was running very well as were the two top Convent sophomores. A little farther back in the next grouping came both Hannah Rosenthal and Julia Thompson. With them in that group were Branson’s and Uni’s #3 runners. Through 4 we were in good shape. A little behind Uni, but ahead of Branson (whose 4th was back another 15 places). Uni’s 5th was also running well and they appeared to have us at that time at every position. To our great surprise not only was Eva running well, better than predicted, but Maddy Nakada was having her race of the season. She was well up in the 4th pack of runners and in the top 30 or 35 (Eva just a little behind her). Emma was struggling, but between her knee problems and strep earlier in the week that was to be expected (still she would gut out the entire race).
At two miles little had changed. Maxwell was rolling. Harleen had a small but insurmountable lead over Thomas, who had gone ahead of Callan, but now Callan’s lead over Molly was only a few seconds and Molly had her game face on and was narrowing that gap. Andie had been struggling with her footing all race and that effort showed. She was still in the top 10 but was looking fatigued from the effort. Uni’s Teerlink and Convent’s Bykhovsky and Selzer were ahead of Andie and appeared to be pulling slightly away from her. The next line of runners, stretch out but connected as a grouping, were not much farther back. That group included Branson’s 3rd, Uni’s 3rd and 4th, two College Prep runners, and Hannah. Julia was not in rhythm and had dropped back from that group. Maddy meanwhile was continuing to move up, but it wasn’t clear how much ground and how many runners she could get past. Eva was a little farther back and also running well. Emma was hurting and hanging on. (She would run overcome all her recent setbacks and finish the race in 70th place.) Clearly Uni was ahead. The question was whether we could start making up places at every position and reverse a few positions here and there between 1 and 5.
Going into the final hill, Molly had completed the long sustained drive and moved past both Callan and Thomas and was now running third and looking too strong to be caught from behind. She wouldn’t be caught and came in 3rd for our highest individual finish ever. Teerlink was tiring, but still holding on to top 10 spot. We got a little help from Convent and MA’s McCullough, both passed Teerlink, but not much, and Andie as well could not hold them off. She did, however, find a final gear to shift to, as she responded to being passed by College Prep’s Shellem... and then caught her right at the line.
Hannah finished with a strong kick to pull away from two Uni runners and finish her best race ever at NCS (her 4th in a row) and to move to #6 on our course All Time List. However, with two Uni runners right behind her. They had 4 in. Our 1 beat their 1, their 2 our 2, our 3 their 3, their 4 our 4...who would be Julia coming another 15 seconds later. As a dual meet, we would be tied, but in a big meet the gaps count and each of our cases we were only one or two spots ahead of our Uni counterpart. At 5 as well, Uni came in ahead of us by a few spots. Maddy kicked in hard and completed her best race by far of the season. She finished 29th overall and missed being the top freshman in the race by only 17 seconds. A little farther behind her Eva had another of her strong finishing kicks to come in 33rd. So Maddy and Eva were 2 of the top 4 freshmen in the race. Maddy missing 1 by 17 seconds, Eva missing 3rd by only 3 seconds (and Eva had beaten her rival freshman from Convent Mae Singer...one of our race goals). The two of them easily the top freshmen duo in the race, the top 2 BCL West freshmen, and an indication that this team next year will be even better.
The girls team missed our school record on the Hayward course, but turned in the #2 time in miserable conditions.
Final score? Uni 66, Lick 76. The total time separating our two teams? 26 seconds.
Back
At the first mile, Branson’s fantastic runner, Julia Maxwell, had already ended the race for first and was now her only competition was the course record. As expected, her teammate Anna Harleen was running a strong second and clear of the rest of the lead group. That group consisted of Mendocino’s Erin Thomas, Uni’ Jenni Callan, St. Joe’s Kimberly Avalos, and our Andie von Eschen and Molly Dicke.
In the next group of runners, University’s Lizzy Teerlink was running very well as were the two top Convent sophomores. A little farther back in the next grouping came both Hannah Rosenthal and Julia Thompson. With them in that group were Branson’s and Uni’s #3 runners. Through 4 we were in good shape. A little behind Uni, but ahead of Branson (whose 4th was back another 15 places). Uni’s 5th was also running well and they appeared to have us at that time at every position. To our great surprise not only was Eva running well, better than predicted, but Maddy Nakada was having her race of the season. She was well up in the 4th pack of runners and in the top 30 or 35 (Eva just a little behind her). Emma was struggling, but between her knee problems and strep earlier in the week that was to be expected (still she would gut out the entire race).
At two miles little had changed. Maxwell was rolling. Harleen had a small but insurmountable lead over Thomas, who had gone ahead of Callan, but now Callan’s lead over Molly was only a few seconds and Molly had her game face on and was narrowing that gap. Andie had been struggling with her footing all race and that effort showed. She was still in the top 10 but was looking fatigued from the effort. Uni’s Teerlink and Convent’s Bykhovsky and Selzer were ahead of Andie and appeared to be pulling slightly away from her. The next line of runners, stretch out but connected as a grouping, were not much farther back. That group included Branson’s 3rd, Uni’s 3rd and 4th, two College Prep runners, and Hannah. Julia was not in rhythm and had dropped back from that group. Maddy meanwhile was continuing to move up, but it wasn’t clear how much ground and how many runners she could get past. Eva was a little farther back and also running well. Emma was hurting and hanging on. (She would run overcome all her recent setbacks and finish the race in 70th place.) Clearly Uni was ahead. The question was whether we could start making up places at every position and reverse a few positions here and there between 1 and 5.
Going into the final hill, Molly had completed the long sustained drive and moved past both Callan and Thomas and was now running third and looking too strong to be caught from behind. She wouldn’t be caught and came in 3rd for our highest individual finish ever. Teerlink was tiring, but still holding on to top 10 spot. We got a little help from Convent and MA’s McCullough, both passed Teerlink, but not much, and Andie as well could not hold them off. She did, however, find a final gear to shift to, as she responded to being passed by College Prep’s Shellem... and then caught her right at the line.
Hannah finished with a strong kick to pull away from two Uni runners and finish her best race ever at NCS (her 4th in a row) and to move to #6 on our course All Time List. However, with two Uni runners right behind her. They had 4 in. Our 1 beat their 1, their 2 our 2, our 3 their 3, their 4 our 4...who would be Julia coming another 15 seconds later. As a dual meet, we would be tied, but in a big meet the gaps count and each of our cases we were only one or two spots ahead of our Uni counterpart. At 5 as well, Uni came in ahead of us by a few spots. Maddy kicked in hard and completed her best race by far of the season. She finished 29th overall and missed being the top freshman in the race by only 17 seconds. A little farther behind her Eva had another of her strong finishing kicks to come in 33rd. So Maddy and Eva were 2 of the top 4 freshmen in the race. Maddy missing 1 by 17 seconds, Eva missing 3rd by only 3 seconds (and Eva had beaten her rival freshman from Convent Mae Singer...one of our race goals). The two of them easily the top freshmen duo in the race, the top 2 BCL West freshmen, and an indication that this team next year will be even better.
The girls team missed our school record on the Hayward course, but turned in the #2 time in miserable conditions.
Final score? Uni 66, Lick 76. The total time separating our two teams? 26 seconds.
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Start of girls championship race.
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Hannah Rosenthal kicking in for top 15 finish.
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