Werner, Perrier leave their mark at Forest Park XC Festival

By Doug Binder, Dyestat editor

(Note: Highlights will be added throughout Saturday/Sunday)

Taylor Werner and Patrick Perrier were Saturday's top performers and they both won the high-stakes races at the Forest Park Cross Country Festival in St. Louis, Mo. Both broke meet records. (Finish Photos by Chris Auckley, race photo by Brent Newman)

Werner, a sophomore who shocked 2011 champ Hannah Long in this meet last year, was more impressive than ever. She broke the course record with 16:47, ripping away from the field after the first mile. By the end she was 50 seconds up on Long, a junior, who was second in 17:37.

Werner's Ste. Genevieve team also won the girls title with 141 points.

In the boys race, Perrier of O'Fallon (Illinois) ran 15:03 and beat Noah Kauppila of Marquette (Missouri). Perrier's time broke the meet record by seven seconds.

And O'Fallon also earned the team victory, scoring 124 points. Missouri teams Rock Bridge (156) and Lafayette (158) were second and third.

--- Michigan ---

On Friday at the MSU Spartan Invitational, Audrey Belf of Seaholm had a breakout performance in the elite girls race with big victory in 17:14 -- a 33-second vicory and meet record.

To put her time into perspective consider that 2012 winner Julia Bos ran 17:20, 2011 champ Erin Finn ran 17:16, Gabrielle Anzalone ran 17:31 for the win in 2010 and Megan Goethals did it in 17:22 in 2009.

The meet also produced interesting results in the team standings, where Northville (Michigan) scored 98 points and upset highly ranked Seaholm (106) and Saline (116). It was also a strong showing by Hudsonville, which features the Berends triplets.

Ryan Robinson from Waterford Mott won a very close race in the boys elite race, breaking the tape in 15:28. Keenan Ribera of Lansing Catholic was a fraction of a second behind (also in 15:28) and Jesse Hersha from Concord was third in 15:31.

--- Pennsylvania ---

At the Spiked Shoe Invitational on Friday at State College, junior Zach Brehm of Carlisle won the varsity boys race in 15:46 but State College HS put three into the top 10 and won the title with 57 points. Carlisle was next with 64.
Mount Lebanon dominated the girls meet with 61 points. State College was second with 114.
Senior Ameila Paladino ran 17:38 for the win and Mount Lebanon's Kelsey Potts was next in 17:50.

--- Oregon ---

At the Pier Park Invitational in Portland on Friday, Grant sophomore Ella Donaghu upset Camas (Wash.) junior Alexa Efraimson by a tenth of a second, 17:28.6 to 17:28.7 in a showdown between two of the top girls on the West Coast. It was an epic race, with Donaghu getting a slight upper hand at 2K. But in the last 50 meters the two girls were shoulder to shoulder. 

"It was one of the most exciting races I've ever seen," said coach Doug Winn of reigning Oregon Class 6A girls champ Grant.

St. Mary's of Portland scored 35 points to win the girls title.

Central Catholic senior Kyle Thomson ran 15:50 to win the boys race and his Rams scored 33 points for an easy victory.

--- California ---

In a stunning development Saturday night, Steve Correa from San Pedro defeated Arcadia's Estevan De La Rosa over three miles at the Laguna Hills Invitational. Correa covered the distance in 14:51 and De La Rosa finished second in 15:09. De La Rosa was the preseason No. 1 individual in the nation. And the Canyon topped both US#4 Arcadia and US#43 Warren in the merged team scoring. Warren was second, Arcadia sixth.  

Elsewhere, national champion Sarah Baxter of Simi Valley began her season in fine fashion on Saturday, winning the senior race at Fastback Shootout by 77 seconds. She completed the 1.9-mile course in 10:43. 

In the merged team scoring, Simi Valley had a narrow 53-57 advantage over Great Oak. Great Oak dominated the boys action and produced a a merged scored of 59 from the class races. Glendora was second with 187.

At the Ed Sias Invitational, St. Francis' high-powered girls and De La Salle's boys had strong performances.

--- Washington ---

Joe Hardy of Seattle Prep made a splash in his season debut with 14:47.20 on a fast 5K course to win the boys race at the Sundodger Invitational on Saturday at the University of Washington. 

But perhaps even more impressive was the front four for US#2 Gig Harbor, all within 15:08.88 and 15:09.10. The team's fifth was a ways back at 16:24. Those front four were Mahmoud Moussa, Wolfgang Beck, Tristan Peloquin and Logan Carroll and finished 3-6 in the race. Cameron Stanish of Garfield was second in 14:58.22.

Kamiakin and Eishenhower finished second and third, respectively.

Gig Harbor's Brenna Peloquin ran 17:40.15 to win the girls race. Eisenhower took the team title. 

--- New York ---

On Friday at Latham, the US#10 Holy Names girls were beaten by two teams at the Springstead Invitational.

It was Champlain Valley of Vermont coming out on top with 56 points, followed by Queensbury with 71. Holy Names scored 75.

Autumn Eastman led the way for CV and was the standout performer in the meet, running 14:59 for 4,000 meters and winning by 48 seconds. Teammates Abby Keim and Emma Putre finished eight and ninth.

Holy Names' Olivia Morrow, expected to be one of the top runners in NY this season, was 20th -- fourth for her team. Megan Kellogg was third overall to lead Queensbury.

Steve Booker led Bethlehem NY to the boys title, winning the race in 13:20. Bethlehem scored 58 points and Colonie was next with 65.

--- Idaho ---

At the Tiger/Grizz Invitational at Idaho Falls on Friday, Bozeman of Montana swept the boys and girls team titles. It was the second time in two weeks that Bozeman traveled out of its state to find competition and the second week in a row that the girls won. 

Junior Elijah Armstrong of Pocatello, one of the top runners in the country, won the varsity boys race in 15:47.8. 

--- Virginia ---

At the Knights Crossing Invitational on Saturday in Salem, Va., Allie Klimkiewicz (18:10) and Matthew Bradford (15:21) were the individual victors at a meet bringing together many of the top teams and runners in the region.

Bradford broke the meet record by 16 seconds. Meanwhile, US#18 Needham Broughton (North Carolina) put its stamp on the meet with 34 points for the win. US#20 Callie School (Tennessee) was second with 79 points and US#101 Blacksburg was third with 97. 

US#65 Blacksburg won the girls meet with 43 points, followed by US#44 Oakton with 71 and Morristown-West was third with 80.