Trouble Afoot!: Jacob Dodson and Ana Wallace race to 2013 LCS XC titles

After a one week delay, Leon County Schools' 2013 middle school cross-country championship came to Apalachee Regional Park on Wednesday afternoon, 2 October 2013. And when the racing was over, on the girls' side Swift Creek finished a perfect 4-0 season to reign as the top team in the Leon County School system, and Deerlake's Ana Wallace as the fastest runner. For the boys, Montford took the team championship, and Jacob Dodson of Raa won for the fourth time in as many races to claim the individual title.

97 athletes from eight different Leon County middle schools were on the starting line at 6:00 PM for the girls' two mile race. After making the first turn in the race and coming on to the moat road near the 800 meter mark, Montford's Saige Kemeny was out front. Kemeny had won the first two races of the season at Fort Braden and at Montford, but she had finished second to Ana Wallace of Deerlake two weeks earlier at Everhart--and Wallace was barely a stride behind Kemeny, with Deerlake's Emily Molen right behind Wallace. As the runners wound through the Piney Woods, Molen moved up into second, while another Deerlake runner, Grace Jackson, had joined the leaders in fourth. At the 1600 meter mark Molen took the lead, but Kemeny, Wallace, and Jackson were right with her, with another five athletes nipping at their heels.

With 800 meters to go, the runners had to climb the most significant hill on the course, the Wall. Ana Wallace broke away going up the wall, while Molen tried to follow. Jackson and Kemeny fell back. Wallace widened the gap, bursting onto the finishing straight almost alone. Jackson surged to pull even with Molen, while Kemeny found herself challenged by Madison Rumenik of Raa. At the finish line it was all Wallace, first in 13:00. Jackson outraced Molen for second, 13:11 to 13:14. Rumenik inched past Kemeny at the line to take fourth, both runners clocked in 13:20.

Wallace, Jackson, and Molen gave Deerlake the first three places, but it takes five runners to make a team score. While the Deerlake squad waited for their fourth runner, Swift Creek put Arianne Neely (6th, 13:21), Asta Hemenway (7th, 13:25), Shayla Nguyen (8th, 13:26), Chase Merrick (10th, 13:39), and Emma Romuald (12th, 13:44) across the finsh line, giving the Wolves 43 points and their third straight LCS championship. The win gave the Swift Creek girls four wins on the season with no losses, and going back to the 2012 championship, the Wolves have a five-meet unbeaten streak. Deer Lake was second with 62 points and Montford third with 71.

Girls Team Standings

Swift Creek, 43
Deerlake, 62
Montford, 71
Fairview, 85
Raa, 98
Cobb, 163

Top Ten Girls

12:59.81 ~ Ana Wallace (Deerlake) 8
13:10.61 ~ Grace Jackson (Deerlake) 7
13:13.53 ~ Emily Molen (Deerlake) 6
13:19.55 ~ Madison Rumenik (Raa) 7
13:19.74 ~ Saige Kemeny (Montford) 7
13:20.17 ~ Arianna Neely (Swift Creek) 8
13:24.45 ~ Asta Hemenway (Swift Creek) 8
13:25.98 ~ Shayla Nguyen (Swift Creek) 8
13:27.80 ~ Emily Culley (Montford) 7
13:38.30 ~ Chase Merrick (Swift Creek) 6

The boys race followed at 6:30 PM, with 155 athletes representing nine schools. As that herd thundered past the 800 meter mark on the moat road, Benjamin Payne of Swift Creek was setting the pace, but Jacob Dodson of Raa and Seth Kemeny of Montford were just off his shoulder. Dodson took over the lead going through the Piney Woods, followed closely by Kemeny, who was just two seconds back after 1600 meters. Payne faded from contention, leaving the lead to Dodson and Kemeny. It was still a close match on the final straight and it stayed close all the way to the end, but at the finish line it was Dodson over Kemeny, 11:19 to 11:21. Robert Nowak of Deerlake moved up during the second mile to finish third in 11:44. Fairview's Joseph Jones also used a strong second half to finish fourth in 11:49.

Together with Kemeny, Montford's Matthew Newland (5th, 11:52), Tate Wallenfelsz (9th, 12:06), and Daniel Sweeney (10th, 12:07) gave the Mustangs four runners in the top ten. Miguel Ortiz (11th, 12:14) was right behind Sweeney, giving Montford 37 points, the LCS title, and a 3-1 season record. Swift Creek was runner-up with 66 points, closely followed by Raa with 69 and Fairview with 72.

Boys Team Standings

Montford, 37
Swift Creek, 66
Raa, 69
Fairview, 72
Deerlake, 114
Cobb, 177
Griffin, 195
Fort Braden, 251

Top Ten Boys

11:18.18 ~ Jacob Dodson (Raa) 8
11:20.64 ~ Seth Kemeny (Montford) 8
11:43.79 ~ Robert Frank Nowak (Deerlake) 8
11:48.21 ~ Joseph Jones (Fairview) 8
11:51.39 ~ Matthew Newland (Montford) 8
11:54.03 ~ Zachary Smith (Raa) 8
12:01.17 ~ Tyrese Footman (Fairview) 6
12:02.30 ~ Dennis Majano (Swift Creek) 8
12:05.23 ~ Tate Wallenfelsz (Montford) 7
12:06.31 ~ Daniel Sweeney (Montford) 8

2013 Leon County Schools Middle School Cross-Country Season Summary
Girls
Meet	Team Champ	Individual Champ
Fort Braden (Story) 4 Sep 2013	Swift Creek, 44	13:51, Saige Kemeny (Montford)
Montford (Story) 11 Sep 2013	Swift Creek, 37	13:42, Saige Kemeny (Montford)
Everhart (Story) 19 Sep 2013	Swift Creek, 47	13:13, Ana Wallace (Deerlake)
Championship (Story) 2 Oct 2013	Swift Creek, 43	13:00, Ana Wallace (Deerlake)
Boys
Meet	Team Champ	Individual Champ
Fort Braden (Story) 4 Sep 2013	Montford, 38	12:15, Jacob Dodson (Raa)
Montford (Story) 11 Sep 2013	Montford, 56	11:56, Jacob Dodson (Raa)
Everhart (Story) 19 Sep 2013	Swift Creek, 48	11:46, Jacob Dodson (Raa)
Championship (Story) 2 Oct 2013	Montford, 37	11:19, Jacob Dodson (Raa)