Call it the home field advantage. Lake Highlands junior Meron Fessahaie won Saturday’s varsity boys race at the Lake Highlands Invitational cross country meet in part because of his familiarity with the Norbuck Park course. Fessahaie won in 16:41, beating 161 other runners, by conserving his energy until he got to the hill portion of the race.
Read the rest of the race report after the video.
“He had saved enough where he could turn it on at the bottom of that hill, where most people die on that hill,” LH coach Alonna Knott said. “We run the same course every year for our meet and he knew the course pretty well already. He knew that it was coming.
The LH boys finished seventh out of 21 teams. Lovejoy won the 5A-4A boys’ race while Mesquite Poteet was second.
“I was pleased with them being seventh,” Knott said. “What’s good also is that my JV boys finished second. I think I’ve got some [JV runners] that are right there on the brink of helping us out.”
The LH girls were eighth out of 11 teams. Frisco won the girls’ 5A-4A race and Lovejoy was second. Megan Siebert of Pearce was the overall winner in 12:45.
Michal Ann Starr, a senior, was LH’s top girls finish with 27th place (out of 107 runners) in 14:17. Freshman Sara Shaw was 40th in 14:39. Grace Devaney, one of the top seniors, did not run because of a nagging hip injury.
Knott said the LH-hosted meet was “perfect.” Not only did the meet have good weather and course conditions, Bob Johnson, the football voice of the Wildcats, was the public address announcer. He was backed up by city councilman Jerry Allen, and a group of members of the Elks Lodge served as course monitors.
This Saturday, LH will compete in the Jim Baker Rowlett Eagle Invitational at Springfield Park in Rowlett. Varsity girls race at 8:30 a.m. followed by the varsity boys at 9 a.m.
"We haven’t run this meet before so it’s going to be new for all of our kids,” Knott said. “I think it’s going to be nice going somewhere that we haven’t been before.”
Boys individual LH results from the LH Invitational:
1. Meron Fessahaie, 16:41 – 1st (overall)
2. Jordan Gerber, 18:11 – 21st
3. Nathan Hogg, 18:36 – 33rd
4. Eyobe Tamene, 19:17 – 49th
5. Roberto Barajas, 19:19 – 52nd
6. Lee Lueder, 19:40 – 61st
7. Ilde Aldrete, 19:42 – 66th
Girls individual LH results from the LH Invitational
1. Michal Ann Starr, 14:17 – 27th (overall)
2. Sara Shaw, 14:39 – 40th
3. Jayme McDonald, 14:53 – 43rd
4. Sarah Thomas, 14:56 – 44th
5. Mary Margaret Johnson, 15:07 – 51st
6. Maddie Bargas, 15:59 – 68th
7. Natalie Morris, 16:32 – 79th
Video by Christina Hughes Babb
Words by Keith Whitmire
