MIDDLETOWN >> A 30-foot-wide stream ranging in depth from 1-2 feet was one of the fun-filled obstacles awaiting cross country runners from Middletown, Lower Lake, Fort Bragg and Willits high schools on Wednesday during Coastal Mountain Conference action at the Diamond D Ranch near Middletown High School.
Middletown cross country coach Sarah Carlisle said the creek was even deeper on Monday and early Tuesday (2 1/2-3 feet) after the area was hit by a fair amount of rainfall, but the water receded enough to allow Wednesday’s meet to go on without a major course change.
Even with a lower water level, runners had to work to get across the stream.
“You had to push your way through,” Carlisle said. “Everyone lost time going through that. There were a lot of wet shoes.”
The water hazard wasn’t the only adventure on the 2.8-mile course. There was standing water and some muddy areas along the course but most could be avoided with minimum difficulty.
Mother Nature threw a few others curve balls at the runners.
“They saw a turtle, a snake and bees,” Carlisle said. “One Lower Lake runner had a bee sting.”
Middletown scored against Willits while Lower Lake scored against Fort Bragg. Both the Middletown and Fort Bragg varsity boys and girls came away with team wins, setting up a showdown next Wednesday at Anderson Marsh State Park near Lower Lake where the undefeated Middletown and Fort Bragg girls will score against each other. Middletown’s boys are also in the running for a title along with Fort Bragg and Cloverdale, according to Carlisle.
Varsity boys
Max Whaley and Oscar Hernandez of Fort Bragg finished three seconds apart in the varsity boys race, Whaley winning in 17 minutes, 45 seconds and Hernandez next at 17:48. The battle for third place was even closer, Middletown’s Dimitri Imbrunetti edged out Lower Lake’s Billy Melvin by a fraction of a second – 17:54.4 to 17:54.8. Jack Shrive of Middletown rounded out the water-logged top five at 18:27.
Jack Farres of Middletown finished sixth in 18:44 and teammate Amida Verhey was ninth in 19:03.6, just a fraction of a second behind Fort Bragg’s Esteban Duran (19:03.2) in eighth place.
Girls
Three of the top female runners in the North Central League I met up on Wednesday and it was Fort Bragg’s Amelia Wirt winning in 19:14, the only runner to crack the 20-minute barrier. Aleia Milano of Lower Lake (20:06) held off Middletown’s Grace Southern (20:15) for second place. Morgan Riley of Willits (20:36) and Savannah Creager of Middletown (20:53) rounded out the top five.
The next five finishers were either Fort Bragg or Middletown runners. Middletown’s Kamrin Williams was seventh overall in 21:49 while teammate Jessica Zell was eighth in 22:32.
JV boys
Jonathan Parrish won the junior varsity boys race in 20:24. The only non-Fort Bragg runner to crack the top five was Lower Lake’s Andrew Smith, who finished fourth in 21:34.
Middletown’s Brett German was seventh in 23:40.
