2014 Great American XC Festival – WakeMed Soccer Complex, Cary NC

Robert Strong – Contributing Reporter

Fort Myers HS Girls Track & Field Head Coach, Girls Cross Country Assistant Coach

The 2014 Great American Cross Country festival turned out to be another great display of national talent running fast times.  On a morning that was perfectly made for fast times, many of the East Coast’s finest put their abilities to the test. 

Boys Race of Champions

This race included several highly touted east coast harriers, including Andrew Hunter, Adam Barnard, and Reilly Friedman. 

The race was taken out in a fast 4:42 pace and as the runners emerged from the woods, many spectators expected the race to already be strung out.  Instead, there was a pack of about 15 boys all together, led by Hunter. 

As the pack climbed the incline by the start finish area, it appeared to be anybody’s race.  Though it strung out slightly, there were still 7 runners in the hunt for the win.  Then, near the 3k mark, Hunter made a major move that opened the race.  From that point on, he made an attack on the meet record. 

Hunter climbed the final hill with the announcer making everyone aware of what they were witnessing. 

Ultimately, Hunter’s time of 14:46.01 (currently US #2) fell just short of the meet record set in 2012 by Sean McGorty (14:43.6) and is the third fastest Great American time behind McGorty and Jacob Thomson, also in 2012 (14:43.9).  Barnard and Friedman would run impressive times finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively in 15:12 and 15:15.

The team race was tight with La Salle Academy, Rhode Island, taking home the title with 132 points over Marietta High School, Georgia, 140 points, and Daniel Boone High School, Tennessee, 144 points finishing second and third respectively. 

La Salle put 4 runners in the top 20 of the team scoring while Marietta only had one runner in the top 20 but had a team spread of 30 seconds.  Earlier this year, Marietta won the Carrollton Invitational over several regionally ranked contenders.  The teams contrasting races matched up well for a very exciting team race.

Representing the State of Florida in the ROC was Holy Trinity (13th) and Creekside (15th).  Top finishers for the State was David Cash Tampa of Creekside (19th, 15:42) and the Holy Trinity Duo of Andrew Cacciatore (24th, 15:46) and Trevor Kattenberg ( 28th, 15:53). 

Girls Race of Champions

The Girls Individual race was never in doubt.  Libby Davidson, of EC Glass, Virginia, went directly to the front of the race and slowly opened a gap on the rest of the field.  Davidson attacked the entire race and, as another coach stated as she climbed the final hill, “she looks so fresh even after running that fast, virtually alone.” 

Davidson’s 17:07.27 (third all-time at Great American) places her 8th on the national list.  The race for second was tightly packed until mid race with Ryen Frazier, 17:22, eventually emerging in second, with Elly Henes,  Green Hope HS, North Carolina, finishing third 17:35.

In the team race, Blacksburg High School,  Virginia, dominated the rest of the field with a team score of 56 points, 50 points ahead of La Salle Academy, Rhode Island, 105 points and 74 points ahead of Green Hope, North Carolina, 130 points. 

Blacksburg placed 4 girls in the top 20 of team scoring, with their 5th finishing 21st, having a 54 second split. 

Representing Florida in the Race of Champions was Winter Park High School (9th), Creekside (13th), Holy Trinity (15th), and Fort Myers (16th).

Leading the way individually for Florida was Winter Park freshman standout Rafaella Gibbons, finishing 6th overall in a time of 17:49 (Florida #1).

Boys Seeded

This individual race had as much, if not more, drama than the ROC did.  Through 2k of this race, there was a huge pack that included Dean McGregor, Frank Pittman, Michael Potter, and Matt Wallace. 

All 4 boys seemed to be running in unison and eventually separated themselves from the group by the 2 mile mark.  Heading down the hill into the woods, just before 4k, Zach Gentry, who had been lurking behind the pack, made a major move to the front of the field and never looked back finishing in 15:35.  McGregor, senior Ft Myers HS, Florida, would hold on to place second, 15:41, with Pittman and Potter fighting all the way to the finish finishing in 15:46.7 and 15:46.9 respectively. 

In the team race, Bishop Hendricken, Rhode Island, would win by 70 points (50 points total) over the Zach Gentry led Albemarle High School with 127 points.  Leading the way for the State of Florida was Fort Myers High School finishing 5th and Winter Park High School, finishing 9th. 

Also finishing in the top 30 for the State of Florida was Josh Kennedy of Fort Myers (28th, 16::36) and Nicholas Strange (29th, 16:37).

Girls Seeded

In what seemed to be the most balanced race of the day, Kaitlyn Holder ran down Kayla Holder in the second half of the race, running an outstanding last kilometer to win the race in 18:37 over Holder, 18:44, who fended off Kate Carrington, 18:45.

In the team race, Green Hope held off a top heavy EC Glass team that placed 4 girls in the top 20.  Green Hope ran a perfectly packed race, splitting 15 seconds, to win by 12 points.  Finishing third was Tatnall, Delaware, who placed 2 girls in the top 10.