Vlieks Streaks, Owls Fly

Posting a time that would have won two of the previous six Connecticut Cross Country Championships, eighth grade Captain Anna Vlieks streaks Saturday to a fifth place finish out of 300 middle school racers, recording her best time of the season. Racing at Wickham Park, in Manchester, the girls and boys harriers spread their owl wings and, in front of proud families, concluded the Connecticut racing season in impressive fashion.On a perfect fall day, Anna ran the 2.3 miles of “A Race” grass and wooded trails at 6:15 per mile pace, setting the team tone of excellence for the rest of the day. In a strategic 13th place after 600 meters, Anna steadily picked off one top girl at a time, earning the podium with a ferocious sprint over the final 300 meter uphill finish.The younger girls then lined up for their 1.7 mile B Race against 52 schools, spreading out across the starting line as wide as a soccer field. With their blue and gold hair ribbons and feet flying, 5th Graders Laila and Tillie strongly took charge of the race and, sprinting against each other right up to the final hill, beat the 3rd place girl by almost half a minute, with Laila breaking the tape just ahead of the gutsy Tillie.The third 5th Grader to finish overall against the 6th, 7th, and 8th Graders was Country School’s own Maribel S., who has surprised her coaches, parents and teammates all season with her “big game” racing results. Maribel finished 12th overall and then walked the finishing chute to nab her medal while fellow 5th Grader Anna G., contending for overall most improved, finished as the sixth 5th Grader in all of Connecticut, in 32nd place.Running the same course as her mother ran earlier in the day for charity, 6th Grader Maybe H. posted her best 1.7 mile time of the season, finishing 58th out of the 250 runners. Fifth Grader Caroline R. was next for the team, finishing in the top half and gaining valuable racing experience for big competitions. Eloise L., 6th Grader, strode smoothly up and over the three hills, dodging the opponents who had to walk, returning to the team tent afterward to celebrate with her family and friends as she used all her training to beat 60 competitors.With the triumphant girls drinking their juices and eating their apples, cookies and bananas, the boys lined up at the base of the hill for the uphill start. When the feet stopped flying, 6th Grader Luke S. led the team charge, taking ninth overall in the fastest Country School time yesterday over the 1.7 mile course. Eighth Grade captain, Miklosh F., finished 20th overall with the fourth fastest Country School boy or girl time.Sixth grader Ryan A. was next for the squad, also distinguishing himself with the shortest time of the day from finish line to donut holes. Fellow 8th Grade captain, Liam B., chased Ryan, finishing only three spaces behind, for 84th place out of 263 competitors. Alex M. moved up steadily throughout the race, showing as a 7th Grader the drive he will bring to the State Championship in 8th Grade.Running in his first huge race, 5th Grader Nathaniel S. finished 174th by posting his fastest time of the year, showing even more encouraging signs to come. Levi A. surmounted the hill with the spectacular view of Hartford, cruising steadily around the course to post a fine 5th Grade time in also his first really big race of his career.In the charity race, 3rd Grader Liv K. pulled Coach Beth Coyne over the 1.7 mile of trails, with Liv showing what is to come by recording the fifth fastest time among all her older male and female teammates.A self-selected contingent now practices for another week before Sunday’s Connecticut Junior Olympics Championships in Litchfield, pointing toward the National Championships, in Lexington, Kentucky, in December.