Courier-Journal.com
CROSS COUNTRY
Shelby County's Eden, Valkyries' Brink win titles
By Bob White
Special to The
Courier-Journal
November 4, 2007
The pressure of being No. 1 statewide among Class 3-A cross country runners didn't
bother Stacey Eden of Shelby County and Emma Brink of Sacred Heart Academy as
they won Region Three titles yesterday at Charlie Vettiner Park. "I just try not to think about
it," Eden, a senior, said after covering 5,000 meters in 16 minutes, 16 seconds,
to beat Fern Creek senior Eddie Griffin by 9 ½ seconds. "It does put
pressure on you, but it's not too bad."
Brink, a freshman, outran teammate Emme McAtee, a junior, to win the girls'
race in 18:46.3. "I don't pay any
attention to the rankings, " Brink said. "They don't determine who
wins. It all comes down to the race."
Perennial power Trinity, ranked No. 4 and coached by Chad Waggoner, won the
boys' team title 42-47 over No. 9 Shelby County. Keith Albertson, a senior and
former soccer player running cross country for the first time, finished third
to lead the Shamrocks' top five places.
Despite Sacred Heart's 1-2 finish, Assumption — No. 1 in 3-A — edged the No. 2
Valkyries 32-35 for the girls' team crown. Oldham County's Annie Barry ran
third, but Assumption placed five runners among the first nine, with Ellen Daly
the leader in fourth place.
The top four teams in each region and the top seven individuals not on a
qualifying team advance to the 3-A state meet on Saturday at the Kentucky Horse
Park in Lexington. Assumption will be seeking its first state title.
Girls
Brink took the lead from the start with McAtee right behind, and they never let
up. Brink's strategy was simple: "Get a fast start and run. I just wanted
to do the best I could. "
"Emm a won her first race this year and kept on going, " Sacred Heart
coach Rick Heim said. "She's such a good-natured runner. She glows in the
positive and never spends too much energy on nervous tension. "
McAtee finished second to Eastern's Sarah Turi in last year's regional. Turi
ran 16th this time, but "she's been battling sickness lately, "
McAtee said about her friend. "Emma and I work together every race. We
push each other."
Boys
Eden, who finished third in the 2006 regional, stayed back in the pack for a
while, then made his move. "After
two miles, I started to push the pace, " he said. "Everybody
hesitated about doing it, so I made the big kick. It was too windy to take the
lead from the start. "With a
half-mile to go I felt I was slowing down for about 200 meters, then I felt
something else inside and picked it up. "
Brian Hancock ran sixth and Austin Dahlem seventh for Trinity's other top - 10
spots.