WCMessenger.com: First to make her Mark

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First to make her Mark

Boyd runner captures 9-2A title

By Richard Greene | Published Thursday, October 29, 2009

As Boyd's Katy Mark neared the finish line Monday, she kept in mind the advice her father gave her in elementary school.

"I didn't look back," Mark said. "In fourth-grade at a track day, running the 50 and 100, my dad told me never look back and keep running."

If Mark would have looked back Monday, she would not have seen anyone behind her. The junior won the District 9-2A girls cross country race by 37 seconds. Mark completed the two-mile course at Joe Wheeler Park in 12:23.

Mark's championship qualified her for the Class 2A Region II meet at Arlington's Vandergriff Park Nov. 7. She will be joined at regionals by teammate Courtney Sanders, who snagged 10th in the race, running 13:28.

Brock won the team title, scoring 63 points and holding off second-place Alvord by two points. Paradise took third with 88 points to net the third and final berth in the regional meet. Boyd finished fourth with 95 points.

Mark took the lead less than three minutes into the race and quickly pulled away. Mark, who took 31st at last year's state meet, said she knew she had a chance to win early in the race when she was even with Brock's Kamy Cole. Eighth at last year's state meet, Cole took sixth Monday.

"I'm used to Kamy beating me," Mark said. "As I started and I was running shoulder to shoulder with her, I knew I had a chance. I kept trying to push it."

Mark built a comfortable advantage by the time the runners hit the first-mile mark and added to it around the final hill.

"She ran solid considering the wind," said Boyd coach Oscar Hernandez. "It was not her best time. She ran to win the race and wasn't worried about time. She was real determined to win."

Led by Jordan Ward's fifth-place finish, Alvord pushed district champion Brock and secured a trip to regionals. Ward ran a 13:13.

"It was a faster pace than I expected," Ward said.

Alvord's Rebecca Evans crossed the finish line in 11th, running 13:29. Ashley Musgrave was 14th in 13:47, finishing a spot ahead of teammate Chelsey Steele, who ran 13:59. Carley King finished as Alvord's fifth runner in 20th place, running 14:11 to secure second place for the team. Alvord's Madison Lynch was 32nd in 14:31. Caly Rangel ran 15:25 to finish 38th.

Alvord coach Sheena Schmucker praised her team's effort, including King's, who passed several runners near the finish.

"They all ran very well," Schmucker said. "All year, they've done good job of staying together."

Schmucker said they will need to continue to improve to make a run a state bid.

"I think our five through seven [runners are] what we need to work on," Schmucker said. "We'd like to get all of them within a minute of [Ward]. We'll keep working."

Paradise teammates Haley Mitchell and Lauren Briarson finished seventh and eighth to lead the region-bound Lady Panthers. Mitchell finished in 13:22, two seconds in front of Briarson.

Shanee Gober took 19th in 14:10. Ashley Sparks ran 14:13 to finish 23rd. Paradise's fifth runner was Kimberly Sadler in 31st place, running 14:28. Tina Lippincott ran 14:54 to finish 35th. Gabbie Von Heuvel finished in 40th in 16 minutes.

"I was proud of them," said Paradise coach Jason Morales. "This is the first time in my four years here for the girls to get to regionals. Times didn't matter. It's all about how you finish."

Morales said they will need to have another strong performance at regionals.

"Now, we have to kick it up another notch; no easy practices," Morales said. "We want to try to do something at regionals and not just go there."

Boyd's third runner was Skylar Truly, finishing 17th in 14:03. Chelsea Landes ran 14:22, taking 25th. Dancey Jordan ran 16:49, finishing 42nd.