Troy girls roll to NTL Invite repeat
By: Brian Fees | Towanda Daily Review | October 16, 2017 | Photo courtesy Brian Fees
ROME — For the Troy girls, the NTL Coaches' Championship started to resemble a Trojans practice.
Four of the Troy runners ran most of the race side-by-side and that pack mentality paid off as Troy won the title with 45 points, easily distancing themselves from NP-Mansfield at 97, Wyalusing at 108, NEB at 116, Wellsboro at 121, Canton at 141, CV at 147, Towanda at 198 and Sayre had 199.
"It's been a while since we were packed together like that," Brooke Hinman said. "We were working together and I think that helped."
In her last NTL race, senior Courtney Case paced the Trojans with a seventh-place finish in 21:51.
"We are very excited, the pack was really good today," Case said. "It was amazing. I didn't expect that at all, it was amazing to see. It was nice to have my last NTL race finish like I did."
Case started a run of five straight Trojans in the standings with Hinman eighth in 22:17, followed by Katherine Polakowski in 22:21, McKenzi Bellinger in 22:22 and Madeline DeLosa in 22:23.
"We all ran together, it's been a while since we raced in a pack like that," Polakowski said. "We were just trying to stay with each other."
For the Troy girls, it really did start to resemble a practice.
"It reminds you of practice. Everyone runs together in practice."
While the Trojans were on top of the pack on Saturday, they know that the competition will be really tough at districts.
"We have some work to be able to win down there, we have to work harder," Case said. "This is a confidence booster, but there's a lot of work to do.
"We have been practicing really hard and we are going to have to step it up this week."
The girls know that Saturday at least gives them the belief they can run with anyone.
"We have to work a lot harder to be able to win," Hinman said. "Warrior Run is fast. It makes us feel like we have a chance. We are going to have to all run together and run fast."
Cowanesque Valley's Jules Jones won the race on Saturday, finishing in 20:05.
"I feel really good," Jones said. "I mean, I feel a little sick, but it's all good."
Early in the race Jones ran right with Wyalusing's Hannah Corson, but as the race went on, Jones began to pull away.
"In the beginning of the race, my goal was to kind of stick with Hannah, because I know the race at CV she took me out really fast, so when she took me out really fast, it set up the whole race for me," Jones said. "The goal today was to stick with her so I would lower my time. I'm not the best at pacing myself, so I kind of used her as a pacer."
And, as the race was going on, Jones was feeling really strong.
"I felt really good," she said. "I noticed that Hannah kind of slipped a little bit and I was like 'oh no, is she ok?' But then I kind of used that. She kind of rolled her ankle and I used that and I realized that was my time to move up."
For Jones, it's now onto districts where she hopes to have a strong showing.
"I am kind of excited for this year," Jone said. "Hopefully it won't be rainy and wet and cold. My goal for districts this year is to kind of move up the ladder and get closer to first place at districts. I probably won't get there, but I'll get close. In doing that, I hope it helps me move up at states."
Corson finished second in 20:47.
"It definitely wasn't my best race," Corson said. "I was hurting a little through the halfway point."
There was a little trip for Corson in the race, but she already had some pain going into the race that slowed her down.
"I did trip a little coming up the hill, but I kind of have had a pain in my ribs for a while now. The last couple of races, it's been bothering me."
Now, Corson wants to get healthy as she prepares for districts.
"I am looking forward to trying to get better," she said. "I'm really excited (for districts). I just hope the weather is better this year."
Northeast Bradford's Karli Moyer finished third in her final home race in 21:04.
"I felt amazing. I felt it was a great way to finish out my last season," Moyer said. "It's just flown by (the past four years), it's so fast I can't even believe it."
For Moyer, it was hard to believe this was her last home race.
"It was really weird, Murph (coach Mike Murphy) came up to us before the race and said just so you realize it's your last time running this course in your uniform so make it count, and that's what I had to do.
"I knew I had to make it my best race here yet."
For a lot of the race, Moyer ran alone in third, but she used fourth-place finisher Lauran Ensminger of North Penn-Mansfield to push her.
"I think I used the fourth-place girl to kind of keep the pressure on me," Moyer said. "I knew if I stayed ahead of her I'd be in a good spot."
Moyer is excited for districts and the chance to try and make it to states.
"My main goal now is making it to states," Moyer said. "Making it to the state meet for my last year. I am so excited, I can't even believe it's (districts) is here. It's crazy."
Ensminger finished fourth in 21:12.
"I feel really great. I didn't expect to perform like I did and I'm really happy with my performance," Ensminger said. "I just got back from a really bad injury and once I got back I trained and disciplined myself to get back."
Ensminger is excited after Saturday's race and ready to see what she can do at districts.
I am so confident now, way more confident finishing this race," Ensminger said. "I am motivated to make PR's (at districts) and set a good example for my team and push my team."
Wyalusing's Catherine Brown was fifth in 21:22, followed by Wellsboro's Anna Bleggi in 21:42.
Troy's five runners took the next five spots, followed by Canton's Josie Kelly in 12th (22:35), NP-Mansfield's Emma Harris in 13th (22:41), Carrie Claypool of Sayre (22:50) and Canton's Tamara Hess (22:53).
Troy's Halie Buck (23:00) and Madisyn Baxter (23:07), NEB's Megan Allabaugh (23:13), Troy's Brook Loveland (23:14) and Towanda's Cheyenne Brown (23:24) rounded out the top 20.
NP-Mansfield's top five were Ensminger and Harris along with Shelby Alexander (22nd), Grace Farrer (30th) and Courtney Weiskopff (34th).
Wyalusing's top five were Corson and Brown along with Carina Beebe (21st), Ashlee Newton (38th) and Cassie Caccia (49th).
The top five for NEB were Moyer and Allabaugh along with Ella Brown (25th), Lauryn Jones (36th) and Anne Tompkins (42nd).
Canton's top five were Kelly and Hess along with Emalee Landis (27th), Emma Bly (39th) and Maya Larson (58th).
Wellsboro's top five were Bleggi and Kylie Butler (26th), Kara Doane (29th), Rachel Chamberlin (32nd) and Aislinn Hoose (37th).
Towanda's top five were Brown, Mya Miller (24th), Becky Kerin (52nd), Emily Carr (60th) and McKenna Schaffer (61st).
CV's top five were Jones and Claire Miller (31st), Cassie Stratton (40th), Lilli Hepfer (4st) and Kirsten Crain (45th).
Sayre's top five were Claypool, Kayla Hughey (28th), Kattie Winge (55th), Natalia Hill (57th) and Madison Romberger (62nd).
Sullivan's Macrina Pochatko was 51st and North Rome's Ashlyn Jones was 65th.
In the junior high race, Troy won at 47, followed by North Penn-Mansfield at 48 and NEB at 50. Towanda had 98 and Wellsboro finished at 102.
Sara Richard of North Penn-Mansfield won in 11:19, followed by NEB's Emma Moyer (11:39), and Kayleigh Thoman (11:42). Sayre's Madison Villanti was fourth in 11:58, followed by Troy's Rachel Kingsley (12:01).
Brian Fees is the sports editor of the Daily & Sunday Review in Towanda, PA.
