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Michigan
International Speedway
Brooklyn, Michigan
11/3/01
By Dave
McCauley, RMDC
For
pretty much the entire 2001 season, the Ann Arbor Greenhills
girls team was the team to beat. Ranked #1 for much of
the year, they had their sites set on a state title. However,
they also knew that they were going to be up against some
tough competition.
Maple
City Glen Lake was the defending state champion and had
left Greenhills as the 2000 state runner up.
But
this year, the roles were reversed as Greenhills took
home the top spot in dominating fashion, holding off Maple
City Glen Lake and winning with a team total of 74 points
to Maple City Glen Lake's 146.
Concord
High School finished in third placed with 210 points,
Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart ended up fourth with 248 and
Traverse City St. Francis claimed the fifth spot with
248.
The
overall individual title for 2001 went to Kinde North
Huron's Katie Kelly, who capped off a great year, winning
in 18:55 over Holly Pifer of Buckly who finished 10 seconds
back in 19:05.
Kelly,
who took the lead by the mile mark, crossed the two mile
in 11:36. And, despite falling just feet from the finish,
had a big enough lead to cross the finish line for the
victory. Last year's champion, Lauren Fairbanks of Rogers
City ended up in 10th place.
A
bit exhausted, but extremely happy, overall champion Kelly
talked about her race. "It feels unbelievable. Giving
everything was worth it." At the two mile, she had opened
up a solid 50-70 yard lead and knew a state title was
possible. "There's no way I'm giving this up now," She
said. From that point on, she didn't look back. Kelly,
a junior, finished in 6th place overall in the 2000 finals.
For
Greenhills Coach Josh Scully, the title was one to remember.
"It was unbelievable. I told them they could do it, but
I didn't believe it" He commented after the race, as the
reality of what his team had accomplished set in.
Scully
was impressed with his team's accomplishments and respectful
of his opposition. "We had five girls in the top 30. We
had Maple City Glen Lake to go against and they were reigning
state champs and didn't lose anybody, so we knew what
he had to do this year and they did the job."
The
Gryphon coach knew it may just come down to a two or three
team race. "I thought all year long it was going to be
either us or Glen Lake and I didn't feel any pressure
because of that. And I knew Concord was up there too."
He
was impressed with the way his team came through this
year after setting their sites on the top spot after last
year's runner up finish and how well his team came together
this year.
"It's
a great team chemistry, and that's what did it. It's just
wonderful to watch our team. You have to see them. (and
how well they get along) And that just transfers out onto
the course," Scully said.
"I'm
happy mostly for the kids and I got to watch it. "
Leading
the way for Greenhills was Senior Jennifer Leichtman who
finished in 6th place overall with a time of 19:44. The
other members of the Greenhills state title team are Sarah
Coujoumjian, Rebecca Sameroff, Katie Olson, Laurie Baumann,
Marianna Kerppola and Alexa Wahr.
With
a solid group of runners returning, Greenhills will now
set its sights on a great 2002 cross country season.
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