WINCHESTER — As “The Pretender” played on the speakers during the third lap of the boys’ 1,600-meter run at Saturday’s Apple Blossom Invitational, public address announcer and James Wood cross country coach Matthew Lofton commented on Colonels senior Eli Clark breaking away by saying, “Maybe it’s the Foo Fighters motivating him.”
While music has been known to fire Clark up in the past, he was in too much of a zone to realize what Lofton was saying or playing at the time. All he wanted to do was make his final ABI at his school’s Kelican Stadium count.
Clark won both the 1,600 and 3,200 in impressive fashion on Saturday, starting his kick with 700 meters to go in both races to leave the rest of the runners in the dust. He won the 1,600 in 4:35.99 — 7.53 seconds ahead of Clarke County’s Landon Horton — and captured the 3,200 in a season-best 10:03.61, 12.69 seconds ahead of Handley’s Will Thomas.
Before the meet, Clark said he was debating whether to go for a state-qualifying time (4:27) in the 1,600 on Saturday. But ultimately, what he most wanted was to position himself to conquer Kelican.
“We’ll have the districts here, but this is really my last home meet here,” Clark said. “For me to have the chance [to win two events], I was like, ‘I’ve got it do it.’ I’ve never doubled the 16 and the 32 before. It felt good to show up [and perform well] when I know that everyone I know is watching.”
Lofton was obviously watching.
Though Lofton was playing songs throughout the day, some of Clark’s best running moments have been accompanied by music. As a sophomore, Clark earned a state medal at the Class 4 cross country meet with the help of former teammate Jacob Oliver played a recording of the Foo Fighters “Bridge Burning” as Clark approached the steep “kill hill” near the 2.5-mile mark at Oatlands.
Though Clark couldn’t tell what was going on in the 1,600, he could hear the p.a. in the 3,200 because of the slow pace. Clark could not only tell Lofton was playing Foo Fighters, but also songs from Lofton’s band.
“We always joke about the Foo Fighters are my thing,” Clark said. “It’s also my dad’s favorite band.”
Clark’s just enjoying running in general right now. His cross country season ended in frustrating fashion because his body didn’t feel as strong as it did in the first half, but he said he feels good now.
“I feel like I can run a lot faster than I have,” Clark said. “This shouldn’t sound cocky, but other than the last 700 of the 3,200, everything else felt like a workout. The 16 wasn’t that fast. I know I can hit the state qualifier, so hopefully, I can just keep knocking off time.
“I had some shin stuff going on earlier, so we had to go down on the amount of mileage. We slowly built it back up instead of jumping up, and that’s helping a ton. I’m getting more in shape. I think my kick is really good right now, and I think I showed that today.”
James Wood coach Danielle Koelker said it looked like Clark had a lot left in the tank after the 1,600. Given how slowly the 3,200 started, she figured a strong kick would come in that race as well.
“It was a good day for him,” Koelker said. “I think he did really well.”
James Wood junior hurdlers Jorel Baltimore and Duncan Stanton had strong days. Baltimore didn’t set any PRs, but the area’s fastest hurdler took first in the 110s in 15.59 and second in the 300s in 41.83. Stanton set season PRs in the 110s (second in 15.66) and 300s (third in 42.24).
Almost immediately after crossing the finish line in the 110 hurdles, Baltimore had his hand up so he could grab Stanton’s hand for a congratulatory gesture.
With top times of 15.27 in the 110s and 41.63 in the 300s, Baltiimore is already running faster than he did in both events last year, when he placed 12th and 18th, respectively, at the state meet. Baltimore had a quick explanation for what’s helping him most this year.
“He’s standing right here, pushing me a lot at practice,” said Baltimore of Stanton, who was standing a few feet away. “He keeps me on my toes, because he’s always right there behind me, getting closer every day.”
Baltimore also helped the 4×400 team win on Saturday. The Colonels didn’t have one of their regular runners in Trenton Manili due to a hamstring issue, but Britain Wenig stepped in and the group that also included Conner Kenney-Fitzner and Ivan Andrews won by 1.67 seconds in 3:35.43, just 3.13 seconds off their area-best time.
“Considering we threw our alternate in there and we still won, I think that really pumped them up,” Koelker said.