My real interest, though, was in the individual race because the faster boys, Jack and JP, were going to pace the other boys in an effort to build a consistently faster pace for the entire team. The boys were going to run in a pack for the first two miles, then Jack and JP would race the 1.1 miles. I was very curious about the outcome, as JP has never run a race where he hasn't pushed himself the entire way. Interesting.
The weather was beautiful, although it was a little hot for the earlier junior varsity races.
Jack McDaniel won the boys' junior varsity race going away, which was cool to see. He will almost certainly run varsity next year as a senior. Jack and JP have been friends since they were three years old and attending Children's House together. Pike (Jack's brother) and Joe are the same way.
Jon Meade was there to see JP race, which was nice. Tracy, Alice, and Jerry came, as well. Jude's parents were there, too. Joe missed because he had a soccer game for USN at Grace Christian Academy.
After the race started, Giles Ward and I walked over and set up shop at the one mile mark. As the leaders approaches, I saw for the first time that Jack Wallace and JP were not running in the lead pack. Uh oh, I thought, as Thomas A. and a boy from Father Ryan HS streaked by us. Jack and JP were running comfortably in a pack with the three or four of their MBA teammates and another boy or two. Their time was 5:15, which is considerably slower than they normally run the first mile of races. The lead runners were 40 or 50 yards ahead of Jack, JP, and the other MBA runners.
This might be a problem, I thought, particularly because JP was looking forward to racing against Thomas. He's a friend from the youth group at church and a fantastic runner who is going to run in college. Great kid. Still, it's always fun to beat your friends. They have rarely raced each other due to scheduling conflicts.
On the back side of the course around 1 1/2 miles or so, the pack of runners was still together, although Cecil had fallen a little behind. Thomas and the Father Ryan HS runner were sill 40 or 50 yards ahead. I walked over the other side of the course again and waited at the 2 1/4 mile mark. I was a little discouraged but, as it turns out, I shouldn't have been.
Suddenly, I saw the leader runners headed down the trail toward me, wearing white singlets, red letter - MBA - emblazoned across the center. Jack in first place. JP in second place. And they were absolutely flying. Thomas was behind JP by 10 yards or so. As the boys made the final turn and raced the last 800 meters, Jack and JP pulled away from everyone else. Jack won and JP finished second in 15:50.
I talked to JP afterwards and he was happy with how the race turned out. I think it was good for him to race this one a little bit differently as he prepares for the State Championship in a couple of weeks, followed by NXR (Nike Cross Country Regional Championship) in Cary, NC.
I was proud of him and happy that family and friends were able to see him race.
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