LOWER LAKE — One rattlesnake, a beehive, a yellow jacket nest and 90-degree-plus weather couldn”t stop cross country runners from Middletown, Willits, Santa Rosa Christian and host Lower Lake during a Coastal Mountain Conference meet on Wednesday at Anderson Marsh State Park.
Fortunately the various obstacles thrown up by Mother Nature produced no casualties, which wasn”t the case a week earlier in Willits when several runners were stung by bees.
“Mitch ran into one snake during the course walkthrough,” Lower Lake coach Laura Hutchinson said of fellow Middletown coach Mitch Tucker. “But he (the curious rattler) wandered off.”
A beehive and jacket nest also were discovered, according to Hutchinson, who said the 2.6-mile Anderson Marsh course was in good shape for its one and only meet of 2006. At least the insects cooperated.
“Everything went great,” Hutchinson said.
Well, just about everything, according to Tucker, who said the rattlesnake in question was a pretty impressive sight.
“Four feet long and a fat daddy,” Tucker said. “He wasn”t coiled.”
Tucker and the Middletown runners were taking a shortcut back to the start line after traversing part of the course during the walkthrough.
“It was hot out and my kids knew the course, so we took a different path back … it”s a marked trail,” Tucker said.
Middletown”s Kayla Welton came the closest to the rattler, according to Tucker. “She was out in front and it was maybe a foot away from her. “She was really shook up.”
Boys
The varsity boys” race produced the best duel of the day as Santa Rosa Christian”s Zack Nave and Willits” Kenny Smith traded places several times along the course before Nave pulled ahead near the finish line.
“They went back and forth pretty much the whole way, trading place,” Hutchinson said. “It came down to the final stretch. Zack went ahead and stayed ahead.”
Nave”s time of 14 minutes, 49 seconds was just 16 seconds off the course record set last year by Lower Lake”s Mike Perez (14:33). Smith was next across the finish line at 14:51.
Third and fourth place went to Middletown brothers Jeremy (16:04) and John Dedmon (16:17). It”s the first time Jeremy has ever beaten John in a race, according to Tucker.
“I asked John if he let Jeremy win and he said he didn”t,” Tucker said. “He said he just didn”t have it.”
Willits” Justin Mehtlan (16:21) rounded out the top five.
Finishing in the top 15 were Middletown”s Chris Nance (12th at 17:45), Middletown”s Chris Whiting (13th at 18:00) and Lower Lake”s Jeremy Parks (15th at 18:14).
In dual scoring, Middletown beat Lower Lake 17-38.
Girls
Faith Hall of Santa Rosa Christian posted an easy win in the varsity girls” race, winning in 18:52. Her teammate, Cheri McLean, was the next to finish at 19:24 and Middletown”s Kelsey Welton, fresh off her win in the Lake County Meet last week, came in third in 20:46.
Earning top-10 finishes were Kate Lyons of Lower Lake, sixth in 22:52, and Middletown”s Rebecca Rosenthal, ninth in 23:10.
“She”s been working hard and getting better each week,” Tucker said of Rosenthal.
Other top runners from Lake County were Middletown”s Kayla Welton (12th in 24:11), Middletown”s Rebecca Swanz (14th in 25:54) and Lower Lake”s Monica Torrey (15th in 25:54).
In dual scoring, Middle-town defeated Lower Lake 20-35. Middletown didn”t score against Willits but had the two teams gone head to head, Tucker said the Mustangs would have prevailed.
JV boys
Sam Harrison of Willits won the junior varsity boys” race in 19:01. Middletown”s Chris Grantham came in third in 20:51.
