Tri State
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Hampshire makes coach proud in boys, girls divisions
Binotto, Twigg take individual honors
Results Photos Girls Varsity Boys Varsity Combined JV & Awards
By Kevin Spradlin
TristateRunnur.com
SHORT GAP, W.Va. – Hampshire cross country coach Craig Nething was admittedly upset after his boys and girls teams failed to achieve what he thought were attainable goals Sept. 20 at the Mountaintop Combo Invitational.
On Thursday at the Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference championship at Frankfort High School, however, Nething was all smiles.
Both the boys and girls Trojan teams lived up to his expectations. Senior J.P. Binotto won the boys race in 17 minutes and 20 seconds and led the boys to a second-place finish behind Mountain Ridge. The girls, meanwhile, placed five runners in the top 11 spots to easily outdistance runner-up Keyser in the team standings.
Binotto, Twigg take individual honors
Results Photos Girls Varsity Boys Varsity Combined JV & Awards
By Kevin Spradlin
TristateRunnur.com
SHORT GAP, W.Va. – Hampshire cross country coach Craig Nething was admittedly upset after his boys and girls teams failed to achieve what he thought were attainable goals Sept. 20 at the Mountaintop Combo Invitational.
On Thursday at the Appalachian Mountain Athletic Conference championship at Frankfort High School, however, Nething was all smiles.
Both the boys and girls Trojan teams lived up to his expectations. Senior J.P. Binotto won the boys race in 17 minutes and 20 seconds and led the boys to a second-place finish behind Mountain Ridge. The girls, meanwhile, placed five runners in the top 11 spots to easily outdistance runner-up Keyser in the team standings.
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Despite a nagging injury here and there and, perhaps, a day or two without an all-out effort from certain individuals, Thursday was the first time Nething’s top seven girls competed in the same race. And the result, well, “it speaks for itself,” Nething said.
“I knew what we had to start with,” Nething said. “We finally got it today. I think that they’re happy. I’m definitely happy.”
“I knew what we had to start with,” Nething said. “We finally got it today. I think that they’re happy. I’m definitely happy.”
Fort Hill senior Amanda Twigg won individual honors with a time of 20:27. Hampshire’s Danielle Lewis was second in 20:51 and senior Rana Conneway was third in 21:26. Keyser’s Hanna Biser (21:31) broke up the Trojans’ effort to sweep spots two through five with a fourth-place finish, but freshman Autumn Chaney picked up the pace again in the fifth spot with a time of 21:35. Sophomore teammate Carissa Guyer was seventh in 21:56 and freshman Sarah Burkett was 11th in 22:37.
It’s exactly the kind of gap from runners one through five Hampshire will need to contend for the regional title. Twigg, too, saw room for improvement. After only a handful of meets this season, is she in the shape she wants to be?
“No, not yet,” Twigg said, “but I’m getting there.”
Hampshire won the girls title with a meet-low 28 points. Southern Garrett edged out Frankfort with 74 points each on the strength of the team’s sixth runner. Keyser was fourth with 99 points, followed by Fort Hill (116) and Mountain Ridge (120).
It’s exactly the kind of gap from runners one through five Hampshire will need to contend for the regional title. Twigg, too, saw room for improvement. After only a handful of meets this season, is she in the shape she wants to be?
“No, not yet,” Twigg said, “but I’m getting there.”
Hampshire won the girls title with a meet-low 28 points. Southern Garrett edged out Frankfort with 74 points each on the strength of the team’s sixth runner. Keyser was fourth with 99 points, followed by Fort Hill (116) and Mountain Ridge (120).
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AMAC Championships
Binotto, meanwhile, led early on and never had a good reason to look back. He held a solid lead over teammate Nathan Whitacre, Josh Shuck of Mountain Ridge and Ian MacFawn of Allegany. Just behind the group were Johnn Macklen Jr. of host Frankfort along with Mountain Ridge runners George Hansrote, Chris DeRosa and Chuckie Upperman.
Less than a mile later – on a dip smaller than what many of these same runners will contest Oct. 11 at the Bull Run Invitational at Hereford – Binotto had increased his lead, MacFawn had taken over second place and Macklen was third, ahead of Whitacre and the four Miners.
It was Shuck, a senior, who served as the epitome of what coach Norma DeRosa preaches during practices. With the finish line in sight, Shuck held third place comfortably over Macklen – about five seconds behind without a strong kick – but Shuck sprinted anyway. Instead of maybe four to six seconds behind MacFawn in the standings, only two seconds separated the Allegany County standouts.
“It’s just the mentality,” said DeRosa, a veteran coach at the second-year school. “If they’re not catching somebody, somebody’s catching them. We take a lot of pride in the last 100 meters. In championships, it makes the difference.”
MacFawn was second overall in 17:57 and Shuck third in 17:59. Macklen placed fourth in 18:07 and Whiteacre was fifth in 18:36. Miners Hansrote (18:42), DeRosa (18:47) and Upperman (18:52) took spots seven through nine as Mountain Ridge won the team title with 43 points. Hampshire was second with 53 points, followed by Allegany (86), Southern Garrett (109), Fort Hill (113), Keyser (127) and Bishop Walsh (240).
It’s unlikely an individual or team rests on the honors they achieved on Thursday. Nething, Hampshire’s coach, noted there are just 15 more practices between now and its regional championship Oct. 23 at Musselman.
“This is the first time we’ve started to pull back on our training,” Nething said. “We’re starting to finally see what we can do.”
Reach Kevin Spradlin at run@mountainMDmarathon.org.
Less than a mile later – on a dip smaller than what many of these same runners will contest Oct. 11 at the Bull Run Invitational at Hereford – Binotto had increased his lead, MacFawn had taken over second place and Macklen was third, ahead of Whitacre and the four Miners.
It was Shuck, a senior, who served as the epitome of what coach Norma DeRosa preaches during practices. With the finish line in sight, Shuck held third place comfortably over Macklen – about five seconds behind without a strong kick – but Shuck sprinted anyway. Instead of maybe four to six seconds behind MacFawn in the standings, only two seconds separated the Allegany County standouts.
“It’s just the mentality,” said DeRosa, a veteran coach at the second-year school. “If they’re not catching somebody, somebody’s catching them. We take a lot of pride in the last 100 meters. In championships, it makes the difference.”
MacFawn was second overall in 17:57 and Shuck third in 17:59. Macklen placed fourth in 18:07 and Whiteacre was fifth in 18:36. Miners Hansrote (18:42), DeRosa (18:47) and Upperman (18:52) took spots seven through nine as Mountain Ridge won the team title with 43 points. Hampshire was second with 53 points, followed by Allegany (86), Southern Garrett (109), Fort Hill (113), Keyser (127) and Bishop Walsh (240).
It’s unlikely an individual or team rests on the honors they achieved on Thursday. Nething, Hampshire’s coach, noted there are just 15 more practices between now and its regional championship Oct. 23 at Musselman.
“This is the first time we’ve started to pull back on our training,” Nething said. “We’re starting to finally see what we can do.”
Reach Kevin Spradlin at run@mountainMDmarathon.org.