Hide Article Text (OCR)
TheBig East Conference cham-for the third yearstateThe Lady been the Itwo yearsgood betto finish in the top 4 thistime, earning another state berth.However, unlike in past years, the Lady Demons don’t have a runner likeJentzen Jones, Beth Hanson or Laura Hanson allof whom contended forregional individual titles.Instead, Fike has a group that understands the benefits of the pack mentality. Senior Martha-Scott Benson, with a season-llt;timeseconds, is the leader butKristenjuniors CeCe YarbroughKristin Ewanwith sophomore LeighannBowentop 5 runners. FreshmenCockrellrow and hope to parlay that into their third consecutiveThe Fike girls cross-country team, three-time Big East Conference champion, has been the runner-up for each of the past two NCHSAA 3-A East Regional meets. Team members are, front from left, Kristin Ewan, CeCe Yarbrough, Leigh Ann Bowen, Martha-Scott Benson and Summer Bailey. Back row: coach Tom Griffith, Grace Wachevich, Kristen Edmonds, Jordan Cotton, Marie-Page Smith and Hailey Cockrell.Paula Benson [ Special to the Timesadded depth.“That’s the differece forgood for big meets.”us, the fact that we don’tAnd the 3-A East Region-have the dominant, all-state-caliaber runner we’veal will be a big meet withCease, will be the clear favorite with Coastal Conference mates JacksonvilleWhite Oak and Havelock inthe mix.Griffith said that basedon the times recorded forthe Coastal championships at Boyd Lee Park and Fike’s times there at the BoRun earlier this month, hethinks the Lady Demonscould finish in the top 3.However, running on theirhome course could give theLady Demons an edge.“I think it does,” he said.“We know (the course). It doesn’t look there’s muchdifficulty on the course but we know between 2 and2-3/4 miles is hard if you go out too fast.”Griffith said the Fike girls tend to run better on thelast half of the course.“The girls like that. Itmakes me nervous but they23 teams descending upon. like it,” he said.had in the past,” Fike head coach Tom Griffith said.Gillette. The girls championship begins at 11 a.m.Hunt’s Lauren West, the newly crowned Wilsonfollowing the boys meet’s County girls champion,“Martha-Scott’s established 10 a.m. start. Defendingbe available Saturday, and Marie-Page Smith providedherself in the front but then champion West Carteret,we pack in (Nos.) 2-6 about led by 2011 state 3-A queenstands a good chance to earning a spot in the state meet as an individual as11 seconds apart, which is Blake Dodge and Katie does Nash Central’s Mi-chaela Williams, the Big East champion.The top five runners noton one of the four qualifying teams will earn a trip to Kemersville’s Beeson Park,site of the NCHSAA championships Nov. 3.In the 3-A boys race, Fike’s best chance for aqualifier is senior Talen Piner, but he will have torun a career best, Griffith warned.“He’d have to drop about30 or 40 seconds to get in there,” Griffith said.“That’s not to say he’s not capable.”Southern Nash seniorNepolian Patel, who madeit to the state meet last year,is a contender as is Rocky Mount’s Mason Holt, theBig East champion.The top boys teams aredefending champion West Carteret, Havelock, WhiteOak and Big East king Northern Nash.■SUV■
Newspaper Details
Wilson Times
Wilson, North Carolina, US
Thu, Oct 25, 2012
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 14 Oct 2019
Other Publications Near Wilson, North Carolina
Wilson Flag Of The South
Wilson Advertiser
Wilson Advance
Wilson Times
Wilson Mirror
