Posted: November 12, 2012
By ROBERT STOCKS

THE PLAINS — James Wood senior Amber Hawkins ran stride-for-stride with Hidden Valley defending state champion Carolyn Bethel through the first mile of Saturday’s Group AA girls’ state cross country championship race.

Both Hawkins, Bethel — and Cave Spring junior Katie Fortner — covered the first mile of the 3.1-mile (5K) course in 5 minutes, 42 seconds, but shortly after that Bethel and Fortner surged ahead.

By the two-mile mark, Hawkins slipped back to third with Bethel and Fortner holding a 13-second advantage.

From there, Bethel held on for her second consecutive state title with a time of 18:11, beating runner-up Fortner by 20 seconds. Blacksburg’s Bonnie Angermeier made a big move in the final mile, passing Hawkins shortly after the two-and-a-half-mile mark and narrowly lost a sprint to the finish with Fortner (who edged Angermeier for second even though both finished with a time of 18:31).

Hawkins, the Northwestern District and Region II champion, followed in fourth with a time of 19:01.
Hawkins, who said she felt nervous for her first state appearance at Great Meadow, tried to go out strong, but didn’t feel like she could stay with Bethel, Fortner and Angermeier — who all finished with a sub-six-minute pace.

“I went out with Carolyn and a little over a mile she made a move and when she got in front of me I started to feel a little sick,” said Hawkins, who finished with a 6:08 pace. “I just tried to keep my place and push through it. Honestly, I’m very happy with how I did.

“I felt really well going out but then I started to feel a little worse, but overall it was a great race.”

Even though Hawkins was nervous for her first state meet (after missing the postseason last year because of an illness), James Wood coach Mike Onda said Hawkins raced well, going against three runners she hadn’t faced before.

“I think she ran a great race and ran her race — and that was her goal all along,” Onda said. “She didn’t get psyched out by [the top three]. She stayed composed, ran the best she could and those girls just happened to be better today.

“She had an outstanding time, raced real well and it was an outstanding season. It’s a great way to cap [her career] by being top four in the state. ”

James Wood senior Danny Aldstadt, making his second straight state appearance, finished 30th with a time of 16:37. Aldstadt was 20th at the mile, but slipped back to 31st by the two-mile mark.

Aldstadt moved up one spot for 30th (out of 142 boys’ runners), sprinting to the line in a pack of eight runners who finished just five seconds apart.

“There were a lot of fast guys here and I was just trying to come out and enjoy my last race in my running career here at James Wood,” said who finished ninth in Region II. “It’s something I’ll always remember. I was happy to make it for a second time and see how I could do in my senior year. I’m pleased with how everything went in a good field.”

Onda said Aldstadt did a good job of holding his position because runners were bunched around him throughout most of the race.

“It was just a huge pack that was battling it out with him the whole time,” Onda said. “He slid anywhere from 22nd to 28th the two times I saw him [during the race] and it was all just one group.”

Onda said both Aldstadt and Hawkins ran strong races in their final high school race — which is always the goal.

“I think they both ran real good races,” Onda added. “They both hadn’t faded really any over their last two weeks [at the regional and district meets]. That was my big concern that they might have peaked and be on that downward slide and not be able to turn out the times that they needed to but I think they both did.”

Millbrook freshman Nadia Dahimene, the Pioneers’ lone state qualifier, was in the top 20 early in the race. She ran the first mile in 5:58 and was in 18th but slid back to 34th at the two-mile mark. She dropped back three spots during the final mile, taking 37th in 20:05.

Sherando senior James Reese made a strong move between the first- and second-mile mark. He was 75th at the mile split, but surged forward 26 spots by the two-mile mark. Reese finished 48th with a time of 16:56.

In the Group A race, Clarke County senior Zach Campbell, the Eagles’ lone state qualifier, came in 42nd with a time of 17:48.

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