BSS/SAS Varsity Boys and Girls
Post Impressive Times
at Olympia Invite

 

Springfield, IL (September 28, 2002)— The Olympia Invite is a new race added to the BSS/SAS schedule this year. 36 schools competed on the all grass flat two-mile course.  The BSS/SAS Girls Team took a tenth place team finish while the Boys Team finished an impressive 6th place, just edged out by Delavan for a fifth place trophy.
 
Melissa Gay, Darian Dolenc, Anne Cumming, Kiley Enno, Kaitlyn White, Olivia Gay and Katie Dresser held up their end for the Varsity Girls Team while Chris Frank, Michael Enno, Gus Bloink, Colin McCormick, Trey Dhabalt, Andy Ralph and Nick Garcia took charge for the Varsity Boys Team.
 
Melissa Gay posted 13:38 to hold onto first position for the team ahead of Darian Dolenc who is still plagued with an achilles injury. Although, Dolenc was able to post 14:23 securing her a second position. Anne Cumming was close on her heels with 14:24 for the three spot. Kiley Enno moved into the number four position at Olympia posting 14:38 while Kaitlyn White and Olivia Gay were stride for stride at 14:46.38 and 14:46.88 respectively for spots five and six. This was a first meet comeback for Olivia who has been nursing an achilles injury over the past several weeks. Katie Dresser, a sixth grader, secured the teams seventh position posting 14:55. 
 
Four BSS/SAS boy runners ran sub 13:00 in Olympia on Saturday. Chris Frank, the come from behind boy wonder is turning everyone's head these days. Frank took control of the boys varsity race posting his best time of the season, an incredible 12:22 for the two-mile course giving him a 21st place individual finish out of 123 total runners. Something happened to Frank at the Porta meet early in the season and he has been enjoying the glory of front pack ever since.
 
Michael Enno struggled with a pre-meet pizza dinner about 30 yards from the finish where he was clinging to a 13th place individual finish. After letting go of his struggles he still finished the race posting 12:37 for an individual 33rd and a second position on the team. Gus Bloink, the 6th grader to watch, finished in third position for the team posting 12:45. Colin McCormick making his comeback from early season injuries ran fourth man on Saturday posting 12:54. Trey Dhabalt, another hidden talent for BSS/SAS held onto his fifth position posting an impressive 13:11 while Andy Ralph took the 6th position for the team in stride at 13:30. Teammates wait to see what Ralph really holds behind that even keeled pace. Perhaps he will let go come Sectional time? Finally, Nick Garcia who has been passing the seventh place position back and forth all season between himself and 6th grader, Mike Witsman posted 13:44 on Saturday. It was an impressive time but not one that will allow him to keep the spot for Tuesday's meet against Chatham as Mike Witsman posted 13:34 in the open race which will award him the honors of running varsity this week. It is going to be an ongoing battle to see which one of these boys will run for the varsity team at Sectionals just two weeks and two meets away.
 
"Overall the boys and girls both ran great races at Olympia and certainly should be winning themselves the confidence they need to realize a spot at state this year as a team. With so much depth of talent, it really can't go any other way for our boys," said Coach JR. "As for the girls, as long as we can keep them all healthy and they run their best race at Monticello, their chances of making a state run are very good."
 
Running in the Girls Open were: Abby Vespa (16:07), Katherine Drake (17:11), Abby Roberts (17:43), and Lindsay Dunbar (17:58). All girls ran great races and personal best times.
 
Running in the Boys Open were: Mike Witsman (13:43), Ben Ahrens (13:53), Ryan Ciotti (14:14), Devin Mapes (14:16) and Ryan Timoney (14:48).