Girls’ Cross Country

Recaps 2007 Season

Saturday, 11/10, Peddie Day
A record number of runners for a Blair girls’ cross country team – 16 – lined up to face the Peddie School at the annual season-ending dual meet on the Peddie golf course in Hightstown, New Jersey. The rain had cleared by race time, leaving a damp course for the girls to navigate in the 40 degree weather. In the season’s three previous meetings between the two schools, Peddie had bested Blair twice (at the Canterbury Invitational and at the State Prep meet) and Blair had finished in front of Peddie once (at the MAPL championship meet), ensuring a very close race between the teams. Peddie’s Katherine Warren won the individual race, but Liz Connor’s second place finish and Quinn McKay’s fourth place gave Blair’s four-girl pack the chance to secure the victory. Heather Britt (sixth), Niki Weiner (seventh), Chrissy Devenny (eighth) and Christelle Akon-Akech (ninth) finished within ten seconds of each other to bring Blair a 27 - 30 victory, the first over Peddie in four years. Arie Kim was Blair’s final varsity finisher, in 12th place. The junior varsity was led today by senior Ashley Thompson in a display of grit and fortitude that surely inspired her teammates. Gamely determined to run on Peddie Day of her senior year, Ashley pushed through considerable pain to run her first race since her sophomore year. She was followed by Julie Clothier and seniors Michaela McCrink and Leila Howard. Morgan Jefferson and Margaret Tseng ran together, and look prepared to step up to leading roles with the varsity next year. Jenny Hsu ran her best race of the season to finish in 26:27, followed by Kiana Mendoza and Sarahbeth Clark. The victory brought Blair’s dual meet record to 4 – 1 and provided an appropriate coda for perhaps the strongest team in recent memory.

Wednesday, 11/7 - MAPL at Peddie
The tenth annual MAPL cross country championships were held at the Peddie golf course in Hightstown, New Jersey in brisk, sunny weather, a perfect day for fast running. Blair earned its best finish ever, second place behind the Lawrenceville School, with a school record five runner average time of 20:51.8. Liz Connor went out fast with the lead pack to finish in 20:03, and Quinn McKay showed that she, too, can run with the best runners in the league by finishing just behind her in a personal best 20:10. Blair’s pack of Nikki Weiner, Heather Britt and Chrissy Devenny all set personal records in 21:21, 21:22 and 21:23, respectively, with Nikki and Heather each slicing over a minute from their former best times. Julie Clothier, in her first sub-24 minute race, and Arie Kim, breaking 25 minutes for the first time, completed the varsity squad. The junior varsity girls, running as a complete seven person team for the first time this season, also ran quite well. They were led by newcomer Christelle Akon-Akech, the first girl across the line in the combined boys’/girls’ race, in 22:00. Senior Michaela McCrink, returning from a bout with tendonitis, ran 24:53, and Morgan Jefferson (25:02) led Margaret Tseng (25:05) to her best finish ever. The final three runners – Jenny Hsu (27:02), Sarahbeth Clark (28:43), and Kiana Mendoza (28:44) – also all ran their personal best times to complete a fine day overall for the Bucs.

Wednesday, 10/31 - States at Blair
The Bucs had a fine showing in the A Division race of the New Jersey Prep States Championships on a crisp, sunny day in Blairstown. Blair finished sixth among 12 teams in a very competitive race with many of the girls running their best times of the season. Liz Connor went head to head with the lead girls from MAPL rivals Peddie and Lawrenceville to finish in 20:38, her best time of the season, good for eighth place and a medal for finishing in the top ten. Second for Blair was Quinn McKay (21:31) in another fine race after last week’s breakthrough result against Lawrenceville, and Nikki Weiner was Blair’s third girl in 22:22, her fastest time this year. Heather Britt, in 22:41, sliced 14 seconds from her time against Lawrenceville a week ago and appears to be rounding into top form. Blair’s fifth runner and final scorer was Julie Clothier in 25:03. Sixth and seventh for Blair were Arie Kim in a personal best and Margaret Tseng, pressed into service when Chrissy Devenny was unable to participate, who also ran her fastest ever 5k time.

Saturday, 10/20 - Lawrenceville
The Bucs treated the large Parents’ Day crowd to a close, exciting competition when they squared off against Lawrenceville under perfect weather conditions in Blairstown. For the second consecutive race the teams followed Blair’s temporary course, avoiding the main constructions sites on campus but running full tilt through the very demanding back hills on the perimeter of the golf course. Both teams had five runners finish in under twenty-three minutes, with Lawrenceville ultimately prevailing 25 – 30 to hand Blair its first dual meet loss of the season. Lawrenceville’s Emily Liggett won the individual race, with Liz Connor close on her heels. After two more Lawrenceville runners crossed the line, Blair’s Quinn McKay finished fifth in her best 5k time by over a full minute. Next were Nikki Weiner and Chrissy Devenny in their best times of the year, and Heather Britt gutted out her final loop around the soccer fields to also finish under 23:00 for the first time this year. Blair’s final varsity finishers were Julie Clothier and Leila Howard, who, in her return from injury, posted her finest ever 5k time. Blair’s JV runners also showed their mettle over a difficult course; Arie Kim was just two seconds behind Leila, with Michaela McCrink leading the contingent of Morgan Jefferson, Margaret Tseng, Jenny Hsu, Sarahbeth Clark and Kiana Mendoza safely home. Despite the narrow loss to the Big Red it was a fine day of running for Blair, which now looks forward to the State Prep Meet over the same course on Halloween.

Wednesday, 10/17 - Stuart
With Blair’s traditional four loop course unavailable due to the ongoing construction of new athletic fields, the season’s first home meet took place over a very difficult make-shift route around soccer fields, through construction zones, and over the hills in the back of the golf course. The Bucs were undeterred, however, and came away with their third consecutive dual meet victory, this time by the score of 15 – 47 over Stuart Country Day School of Princeton. With the temperature reaching 75 degrees by race time the times were relatively slow, but the varsity seven – Liz Connor, Quinn McKay, Nikki Weiner, Heather Britt, Chrissy Devenny, Julie Clothier and Arie Kim – ran with determination to prepare themselves for the challenge of facing Lawrenceville on Parents’ Day this weekend. Michaela McCrink, after taking a race off to deal with tendonitis, came back and ran quite well as the team’s eighth runner. Following Michaela were Morgan Jefferson, Margaret Tseng and Jenny Hsu in a small group, with Kiana Mendoza successfully completing her second 5k race.

Saturday, 10/13 - Hun
The Bucs upped their dual meet record to 2 – 0 with a victory over the Hun School in Princeton’s Greenway Meadows Park. On a beautiful day for running – sunny, breezy and cool – Blair ran perhaps its best race of the season so far over the hilly two loop course. Blair took the first four places, with Liz Connor once again leading the team to the finish line in 21:35. She was followed, in order, by Quinn McKay (22:21), Nikki Weiner (22:48) and Heather Britt (23:08). After a Hun runner in fifth place, the next three varsity spots were claimed by Blair: Julie Clothier (25:21), Arie Kim (25:55), and Margaret Tseng (26:35) for a 16 – 47 victory. Margaret and the first junior varsity runner across the line, Morgan Jefferson (27:08) both ran personal best 5k times and appear poised to drop their times even further. The final runners – Jenny Hsu, Sarahbeth Clark, Kiana Mendoza and Leila Howard – all ran the hills well and should be in good form when the team runs at home for the first time next week.

Wednesday, 10/10 - Hill
After weeks of uncomfortable, unseasonably warm weather, Blair ran its first dual meet against the Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania under beautiful, cool skies. Liz Connor, back from a two-week injury hiatus, led the team with her first place finish in 22:05, followed closely by Quinn McKay (22:21) in second place. After two Hill runners took the third and fourth spots, Heather Britt and Chrissy Devenny crossed the line together in 23:01. Nikki Weiner, Blair’s final scorer in eighth (23:34), showed her mental toughness down the final stretch of the course in holding off a group of charging Hill runners. Julie Clothier and Leila Howard completed the varsity squad for the day. The final result, 22 - 33 in favor of Blair, gives the team a boost as we head into a stretch of competition against the MAPL schools. Not to be forgotten also were the junior varsity members of the team, led today by Arie Kim, who was followed closely by Ruthie Mesnard and Margaret Tseng. Just behind them were Morgan Jefferson, Michaela McCrink, Jenny Hsu, Sarabeth Clark and Kiana Mendoza. All in all, it was a fine day for Blair cross-country!

Saturday, 10/6 - Shore Invitational
With all five senior team members missing the race in order to take their SATs, sophomore Heather Britt stepped up as interim captain to lead the girls to eighth place (out of 18 teams) in the Girls’s Varsity F race at the Shore Coaches Invitational. 135 girls – the largest field Blair is likely to face this year - joined the Bucs in summerlike heat as they raced over Holmdel Park’s famous course. The girls paced themselves well on the demanding uphill start to put themselves in good position to pick up places over the final miles of the course. Quinn McKay led the team with an 18th place finish, earning a plaque for her effort. She was followed by Nikki Weiner, Heather Britt, Julie Clothier and, in her first varsity race, Arie Kim. Blair’s final varsity runner, junior Margaret Tseng, impressed in her very first cross-country race. Earlier in the day, three junior varsity runners – Morgan Jefferson, Jenny Hsu and Sarahbeth Clark – ran commendably amongst 122 runners in the Girls’ JV C race to prepare themselves for Blair’s upcoming dual meet season. The day was capped off nicely by freshman Kiana Mendoza’s performance in the two mile freshman race just after noon.

Saturday, 9/22 - Canterbury Invitational
Blair joined 117 runners from 17 teams for the 35th annual running of the Canterbury Invitational in New Milford, Connecticut. Despite the humid weather and the large field of competitors, Blair earned its highest ever team placing in the event, finishing in fifth place overall. A week after cruising over Newark Academy’s flat, fast course, the girls faced Canterbury’s notorious hill undaunted, running times indicative of the heart and effort they put into the race. Blair was led by Liz Connor’s 10th place finish; her time of 20:57 is the fastest time run by a Blair girl in the four years since the course was lengthened to five kilometers in 2004. Following Liz was freshman Quinn McKay in her first varsity race (22:11), junior Nikki Weiner (22:52), and Heather Britt and Chrissy Devenny who ran together to finish in 23:32. Rounding out the field for Blair were Julie Clothier (25:33) and Michaela McCrink (26:11).

Saturday, 9/15 - Newark Invitational
Blair opened its season in traditional fashion at the Newark Academy Invitational in Livingston, New Jersey. The 30th annual invitational began in a cool drizzle, but the skies began to clear as the girls headed to the starting line at 10:30. Liz Connor, back from her junior year in Switzerland, led the Bucs with her overall seventh place finish in a fine time of 20:01. Next for the team was newcomer Nikki Weiner in 22:06, followed in short order by Heather Britt and captain Chrissy Devenny in 22:34 and 22:35, respectively. With a time of 22:50, junior Ruthie Mesnard was Blair’s fifth place runner and final scorer. Close on Ruthie’s heels was Julie Clothier in 22:57. Moving up from last year’s junior varsity, Julie sliced five minutes from her former personal best time. Rounding out the varsity squad was senior Michaela McCrink, whose 24:44 was a full minute faster than her 2006 time over Newark’s course. At the conclusion of the varsity competitions, Blair entered four girls in the junior varsity race: freshman Quinn McKay, who placed second, senior Leila Howard (running her best race at Newark by almost a minute and a half), sophomore Jenny Hsu, and junior Sarabeth Clark.

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