Cross- country season came to an end Saturday with the 2005 state meet at ORU. With the top 14 teams from the whole state from 3A to 5A giving it their all on the famous course. I did not get to watch and cheer on the 4A races since my race was at 1pm. I was also most unfortunate to miss both 3A races due to the 5A award ceremony starting at the same time (I really wanted to watch Mayes vs. Duncan vs. Garcia for the individual title and the boys team of Elk City, Byng, and Victory for the team title).
The girls' 5A race was nerve racking. Running out and doing our team prayer and meeting, I let my girls run back to the line while I gazed upon my competitors. So many astonished athletes I was going to run my last high school race against. I was already a little nervous, so the trouble with the starting gun didn't help. But it was pretty funny when the starter was testing his gun and some teams didn't know it was a test. I just remember seeing a couple of Jenks girls sprint off. That was humorous. Then everyone got silent. It was like something you can only dream of, the starter saying something, but you for some reason can't comprehend. Everything is silent and in slow motion as you look for the last time down the line of your friends turned enemies. All you can think about it is all 111 runners that now surround you. It is their fault for why you wasted your summer away running in the heat, the morning practices before school, and how you learned to endure the pain for the glory at the end of the race. This is what you have been waiting all season for. State.
The gun finally did go off. In the first 300m, packs are already forming. Do I dare risk staying where I am and finish knowing I could have gone faster OR do I push myself to the limits and see how much my body can take- praying it can endure 3200m? I myself chose the second. My only fear was going out to fast. So, I was relieved to see Ina a good 10 seconds ahead of me going up the first hill. That little hill, spectators everywhere. Parents and friends everywhere already were cheering on their runner(s) to go faster. That always makes me laugh- I can only think to myself, "Don't listen to them, I still have a lot of race left". It always helps in a race to have another runner with your name also because you get double the cheers. So, Alex Lewis of Tahlequah- thank you. The whole race- there were fans everywhere. You couldn't escape from a spectators view. ORU is a true, challenging course. To the eye, it seems like a simple piece of land to run on, but to the actual runner, you have every obstacle to tackle: steep and short hills, steady inclines, sharp turns, dead flat, and then… that straight a way at the end. The girls race was phenomenal, even the results. First place went to Union and the runner-up, Jenks. All those girls ran great races. Of course, Ables's 2nd time state championship for individual helped her team out a lot.
And then that leads us to the great race of the boys' 5A. From what I have heard, BA held up the beginning of the race waiting desperately for one of their runners. No need to worry though- he made it just in time (he was even able to finish 15th). Like always, when that gun sounded for the guys, they took off. Already though, coming over the first mini hill, Schwab took the lead. For a good 2 miles of the race, Schwab was of course first, but 2-15th place was all for the taking. Robbins kept 2nd for more than half of the race with Ownby, Rowin, Farrar, Andres, and Dupont right behind him. They kept to a pack the whole race. Coming up with less than a mile left though, Ownby took a hold of 2nd place. At the finish, everyone gave it their all. Jenks and Mustang of course were at a "can't let NO one pass you" situation. Schwab came in with a strong lead. Second came Ownby. Then the pack came. Most of the all-staters were side-by-side running down that straight a way. They all finished so strong and ran a great race. The fans were going absolutely insane. No matter how loud I tried cheering/yelling for my fellow runners, I could not hear myself because there was already so much commotion in the air. The race was over and what place individually was known, but the main question was what team would receive first. Mustang was able to move to the top and proudly classify themselves as 2005 cross country state champions. For years, the team championship has been a two-player game between Jenks and Edmond Memorial. Now, Mustang has broken that game that lasted 7 years. Looking on the stage at all the all-staters, I was able to realize out of the 15 on the stage, only 4 or 5 of them were seniors. I just thought that was really astonishing.
Everyone that raced in state this year gave it their all. From teams stalling on the starting line hoping to save 30sec for a lost team mate to a runner's shoe falling off in the first 400m of the 5k race- this year had it all. Disappointments came to some while surprise and joy came to others. State holds it all, every runners' fears and dreams. Again, congratulations to all who got the chance to participate in the race, Mustang boys and Union girls, and to Kevin Schwab and Ina Ables.
~ Alex Kirkpatrick of Sapulpa, lilrunr06@yahoo.com
(OKtrackXC.com would like to thank Alex for submitting the journal and congratulate her on her 25th place finish at state.)
Photo: Alex (right) with Sapulpa boys team member Cordell Baker