KELSEYVILLE — John Dedmon is getting faster and faster.
The Middletown High School senior won his second straight individual Lake County Meet title on Wednesday, this time at Kelseyville High School”s reconfigured 2.9-mile Springer Cross Country Race Course, in 18 minutes and 18 seconds. A year ago at Highland Springs Reservoir near Lakeport, a 3.1-mile layout, Dedmon won in 20:55.
Dedmon”s coach, Cia Dedmon, said her son”s effort puts him well ahead of where he was at the same point of the 2006 season. “That”s a very good time for him, he did well,” Dedmon said.
Middletown”s boys also won the team title, beating out Clear Lake 42-52, with Kelseyville coming in a close third with 55 points.
Besides race winner Dedmon, Middletown”s other top finishers were Chris Nance, fifth in 20:58; Russell Rosenthal, eighth in 21:31: Francisco Sandoval, 12th in 22:34; and Jared Rudy, 16th in 23:34.
Finishing second overall was Michael Diggs of the newly formed Upper Lake team. He crossed the line in 19:54, just a few seconds ahead of Clear Lake”s Tyler Hayes (20:00).
Also placing in the top 10 were Eddie Ledesma of Kelseyville, fourth in 20:45; Michael Dolan of Upper Lake, sixth in 21:04; Maurillio Gamora of Kelseyville, seventh in 21:21; Rawley Butler of Clear Lake, ninth in 21:43; and Lief Tisell of Clear Lake, 10th in 21:54.
“It was exciting because this is the first time we”ve had enough boys to score,” Kelseyville coach Ernest Woodson said of his complete (at least five runners) Knights squad. “So they weren”t only running for themselves this year, but they were running for the team. I expect even better results as we go along.”
Medals were awarded down to 25 places as both the varsity and junior varsity boys ran together as a single group this year.
In the varsity girls” race, Amanda Horne of Kelseyville led the lady Knights to the team title with a winning time of 25:12, almost a full minute ahead of runner-up Thea Olson of Middletown (26:03). Tasha Gibbs of Middletown finished third (26:17).
“The girls did really well,” Woodson said. “The last few years we didn”t have enough girls to field a team.”
Woodson also praised Horne”s winning effort.
“She did an outstanding job. She got the lead, held off the others, and ran a very smart race. All our ladies did a really wonderful job. Their hard work is paying off and paying off early.”
Rounding out the top 10 finishers in the girls” race were Kelseyville”s Arielle Lehmer, fourth in 26:43; Kelseyville”s Amanda Mueller, fifth in 26:44; Lower Lake”s Kate Lyons, sixth in 26:46; Upper Lake”s Ashley Burns, seventh in 26:47; Kelseyville”s Paz Lozano, eighth in 27:12; Clear Lake”s Tayler Whipple, ninth in 28:38; and Kelseyville”s Kylie Olson, 10th in 28:32.
Kelseyville and Clear Lake had the only complete teams and the Knights won 28-62.
Medals were awarded down to 15 places in the girls” division.
Woodson, the home coach and meet director, said the event ran smoothly and there were no lost runners on the course or cases of heat exhaustion.
“I want to thank the Springer family for letting us use their land again, they have our thanks,” Woodson said. “We”ve named the course after them (Springer Cross Country Race Course).”
