Werner, Perrier leave their mark on the Forest Park XC Festival
By Doug Binder, Dyestat editor
Taylor Werner and Patrick Perrier were Saturday's top performers and they both won the high-stakes races at the Forest Park Cross Country Festival in St. Louis, Mo.
Werner, a sophomore who shocked 2011 champ Hannah Long in this meet last year, was more impressive than ever. She broke the course record with 16:47, ripping away from the field after the first mile. By the end she was 50 seconds up on Long, a junior, who was second in 17:37.
Werner's Ste. Genevieve team also won the girls title with 141 points.
In the boys race, Perrier of O'Fallon (Illinois) ran 15:03 and beat Noah Kauppila of Marquette (Missouri). Perrier's time broke the meet record by seven seconds.
And O'Fallon also earned the team victory, scoring 124 points. Missouri teams Rock Bridge (156) and Lafayette (158) were second and third.
--- Michigan ---
On Friday at the MSU Spartan Invitational, Audrey Belf of Seaholm had a breakout performance in the elite girls race with big victory in 17:14 -- a 33-second vicory and meet record.
To put her time into perspective consider that 2012 winner Julia Bos ran 17:20, 2011 champ Erin Finn ran 17:16, Gabrielle Anzalone ran 17:31 for the win in 2010 and Megan Goethals did it in 17:22 in 2009.
The meet also produced interesting results in the team standings, where Northville (Michigan) scored 98 points and upset highly ranked Seaholm (106) and Saline (116). It was also a strong showing by Hudsonville, which features the Berends triplets. (link).
Ryan Robinson from Waterford Mott won a very close race in the boys elite race, breaking the tape in 15:28. Keenan Ribera of Lansing Catholic was a fraction of a second behind (also in 15:28) and Jesse Hersha from Concord was third in 15:31.
--- Pennsylvania ---
At the Spiked Shoe Invitational on Friday at State College, junior Zach Brehm of Carlisle won the varsity boys race in 15:46 but State College HS put three into the top 10 and won the title with 57 points. Carlisle was next with 64.
Mount Lebanon dominated the girls meet with 61 points. State College was second with 114.
Senior Ameila Paladino ran 17:38 for the win and Mount Lebanon's Kelsey Potts was next in 17:50.
--- Oregon ---
At the Pier Park Invitational in Portland on Friday, Grant sophomore Ella Donaghu upset Camas (Wash.) junior Alexa Efraimson by a tenth of a second, 17:28.6 to 17:28.7 in a showdown between two of the top girls on the West Coast.
St. Mary's of Portland scored 35 points to win the girls title.
Central Catholic senior Kyle Thomson ran 15:50 to win the boys race and his Rams scored 33 points for an easy victory.
--- Washington ---
Sundodger
--- California ---
