2nd Powell XC Invitational Wrap-Up
By Michael Kennedy, Smyrna Head Coach
Basic info if you don’t know anything about this meet and its set-up: At the Powell Invite we run 3 Varsity races, A, B and C. The A race contains teams’ 1 and 2 runners, the B is 3 and 4 and the C is 5-7. I designed this format so that runners could compete against athletes of their own approximate level, and give anyone a chance to win at a big meet.
Last year, the first weekend of the XC season was rainy, cold and miserable. About an hour before the 1st Powell Invitational was supposed to begin, I was driving my car through the course with the brilliant idea that if I could drive the course, it was OK for racing. Well, my car got stuck in the mud and had to be towed out… (I drive a Saturn with rear wheel drive) we raced anyway. The finishers’ uniforms were barely distinguishable beneath the layers of mud… but everyone seemed to love it all the same. I decided to have the meet again, but this year I ordered less mud, more teams, and more awards. If you build it they will come.
15 schools sent their harriers to sunny Smyrna on Patriot’s Day, eager to begin the 2004 XC campaign with the 2nd Powell Invite. For the first time 2 PA schools joined the fun, Kennett Square and Interboro. Defending their mud-laden championships were Red Lion’s Boys and Dover’s Girls. Neither would repeat, although both made nice top-3 showings. The conditions were absolutely perfect. The course was tweaked in the off-season to make it more spectator friendly, and in the process was made into a very fast course. Every runner who finished was given an award (a practice lacking at other big name meets… hint hint). All of these things, not to mention over 300 runners and about 500 screaming spectators made for one of the best XC days in recent memory- if only I could have enjoyed it instead of trying to manage it…
This year’s boys race belonged to Henlopen Conference early favorite Cape Henlopen. You win the Powell Invite with depth 1-7. Cape’s guys were 3rd and 18th (A. Rogan and Melenez) in the A race, 4th and 6th (Mock and Gardner) in the B and 3rd-5th in the C (Tartel, R. Rogan and Mackowski). Andrew Rogan was their top time at 17:23. Middletown finished second behind Ben McKinnon’s 4th place finish at 17:25. The Cavs Jon Bramwell won the C race to support their cause. Concord looked in great position to win after Chris Slate and Pierce Conlon just destroyed the course finishing 1-2 in the A race in times of 16:46 and 16:55, respectively. Then in the B race Andrew Meyer took 2nd with a time of 17:30, but they couldn’t hold on through 7 guys. Watch that group though.
On the girls side, Middletown would not be held back. As I stood at the finish line collecting times and deciding who finished ahead of who (sorry again to Lake Forest), I kept thinking how good Middletown’s girls were- they were towards the front of every race. Then I thanked God they are a division I team and in the Blue Hen Conference and went about my day. Natalie Pressler was 2nd in the A race with the fast 20:29. She was backed up by Cristi Gilsdorf who was 8th in 21:47. The Cavs were 2nd and 5th in the B race (Blanco and Slaughter) and 1st, 3rd and 6th in the C (Nimmericter, Gonce and Conroy). Dover looked good in every race, and will be a force this year. Concord’s Sarah Vernon won it and set a new course record in a time of 20:25.
Other teams that look poised to make noise this season are Red Lion’s boys, led again by Joseph Feeley, Seaford’s boys behind transfer Bailey Noel, Dover’s 2nd place girls, again deep with talent, and the surprising (even to me and I coach them) 3rd place Smyrna Eagles. Smyrna was paced by Rachel Taylor, a freshman, who finished 4th in the A race.
Full results and times are posted on www.smyrnaxc.com. All of Delaware is invited to join us for the 3rd edition next year. Good luck to all Delaware runners this season.