By Chad Young
If you ask any runner about what motivates them in a race, you’ll get a range of answers: some like you to yell at them, some like you to quietly and positively encourage them, some like to manage the race on their own without any motivational cries. Each year, the Cougar Relays is kicked off in a devilish way with a race that is meant to test your endurance, your motivation, and your desire to test and push yourself for just one more lap.
The race is called “The Devil Takes the Hindmost” where after two laps the devil, Quince Orchard Coach Seann Pelkey, pulls runners off the track that can’t stay with the pack.
In the girls’ race, Caroline Beakes and Nora McUmber sat in the middle of the pack for a mile or two until the pack thinned out. Then a front pack formed of about ten runners, and the two B-CC runners moved up to sit just behind the leaders. They were smart not to push the pace, not knowing how long the race would last. They ran mile after mile: 6:17, 6:28, 6:35, 6:25 until there were just three runners left.
Beakes took the lead, leaving McUmber and a Severna Park runner to battle for second place. McUmber was just barely out-kicked and ushered away from the track by the devil. McUmber was impressive and covered 4.5 miles in 28:45. Beakes unleashed a strong kick on the final lap and opened up a very large lead on her way to victory. She covered 4.75 miles in 30:07. Beakes’ victory was the only first place finish of the day for B-CC and is the fifth B-CC victory in that event in seven years.
In the last seven years, we have also seen an emergence of B-CC middle distance running excellence. The girls 4x800 team of Helen Webster (2:23), Ava Farrell (2:24), Laura Nakasaka (2:25) and Brittney Wade (2:16) placed second and ran the second fastest time of any BCC team in the last seven years en route to what would have been a meet record in 9:30.
The girls’ distance medley relay, Brittney Wade (1200-3:51), Laura Nakasaka (400-1:05), Hallie Jester (800-2:29) and Ava Farrell (1600-5:27) finished second as well after a tough battle with Severna Park.
The boys showed great improvement in the field events on Saturday.
Sophomore thrower Devin Doherty set a personal best in the discus by almost three feet in 71 feet 11 inches. Senior thrower Romario Newman-Latty also set a three-foot personal best in the shot put with a distance of 33 feet 8.5 inches.
Senior Michael Nyarko set a season best in the shot put with a distance of 39 feet five inches.
In the jumps, Max Braganza set a personal record in his final long jump of the day to hit 17 feet even. Kenneth Norris jumped a season best 36 feet 4.75 inches in the triple jump.
Also impressive were two B-CC freshmen who were happy †o help the team and competed in events that they didn’t think they would run.
Orlando Pinder, after helping complete the shuttle hurdle relay, checked in to complete the triple jump relay. With very little training in this technical event, he successfully jumped and helped to make sure B-CC’s relay team was complete. Sam Baker filled in to run a 200, a distance he has never raced, on both the 4x200 and sprint medley relay teams.
Our next meet will be at Whitman on Wednesday April 11th. Please come out and support the team.
We look forward to seeing everyone who is in town at practice this week on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00am-11:00am at B-CC.
Enjoy your break and make sure to keep up with your training.
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