Wednesday, October 08, 2008
MORTONS GAP — For the third time this season, Hopkins County Central cross country runner Wesley Ipock left all competitors behind him at the Storm’s home course — this time to win the individual title in Tuesday’s Hopkins County All-Comers Meet.
Ipock crossed the finish line with a new course record time of 17:22, beating his own previous mark by 18 seconds. As a team, however, the Storm took second place.
In the girls race, Dawson Springs claimed seven of the top 10 spots to win the team honors, and boasted individual winner Amber Genseal as well. Genseal ended the afternoon with a time of 24:42.
As for Ipock, when he crossed the line and discovered his record-setting time, the wide-eyed senior asked, “Are you serious?”
Ipock trailed a Christian County runner by a mere few feet entering the second lap, but said it was all a strategy on the windy day.
“I drafted him just like NASCAR,” Ipock said. “I drafted him that whole race.”
I let him take all that wind...It sounds cruel, but it’s a mental thing...At the end I was like, I need to take this course. I knew he was on the right pace by my two-mile time. They yelled 15:58, and I said ‘Well I got to kick it.’”
Central boys coach Jerry Womack said he was impressed by Ipock’s effort, but believes the best is to come.
“Wesley had somebody to run with today – the guy from Christian County and it really showed,” Womack said. “He had to turn it on and I don’t think that we’ve still found how good Wesley can be yet. He may be capable of times in the mid 16s before this season is over.”
Fellow Storm runners Nick Ritchey (ninth, 19:07) and Corey Eakins (10th, 19:27) also finished in the top 10 to help Central. Ritchey improved by 22 seconds from his last time out.
Panther runner Colton Chapple took fourth place overall with a time of 18:49, which beat his previous course time by 33 seconds.
“He works really hard at it,” Dawson boys coach Toni Dickens said. “His times are continuing to be really good for an eighth-grader and good for a varsity runner.”
Sophomore Dayton Reed also placed within in the top 10, taking eighth place with a time of 19:04.
On the girls side, Genseal and the Lady Panthers simply dominated the competition and were the only school to post a team score. Behind Genseal, teammate Lauren Menser finished in second place at 24:49
For the Lady Storm, eighth-grader Kaylee Smith finished in third place overall with a personal course-record time of 25:01.
Although Smith paced the Central team, the young runner sounded like a veteran after the race when describing her time.
“I liked it, but I wish I could have done just a little bit better, like in 24s because I know I can,” Smith said.
Dawson Springs took the next four spots at the finish line though en route to its team win.
Although Genseal led the Lady Panthers, Dawson Springs girls coach Leslie Mills said her team is balanced and she never knows who will carry the team day-to-day.
“They’re pushing each other,” Mills said. “‘Who’s going to get it today?’ is what I ask before each race.”
With such balance, many of the girls run closely together in packs, which can sometimes cause runners to settle at slower paces, but Mills said she has found the opposite.
“Today, I actually had a couple girls come in and say, ‘Well such and such was kind of slowing down and I looked at them and said nope, c’mon, keep running,’” Mills said. “I had two girls who told me that.”
While Dawson Springs dominated the race, Central runners Mattie Russell (eighth, 26:06) and Crystal White (26:08) ran well and placed in the top 10.
“(Crystal) had been sick last week and I thought she gutted it out during the County Championship,” coach Kent Akin said. “She ran a 30 minute and she was really sick and didn’t really get back until Monday, so I was very pleased with her time.”
Nobody felt better after the race though than the Storm’s Ipock, who relished setting the course record in his final race at Central.
“It means a lot because my dad – he didn’t run at Hopkins County, but he ran at Webster County and he set records,” Ipock said. “He had records set that I can never even think about. Just being able to make him happy and walk in his footsteps, it’s awesome.”
I really look up to my dad. He pushes me, he’s my number one fan. Mom is the same way. If it wasn’t for my parents, I wouldn’t be kicking it as much as I am now.”
Team Standings
Boys
1. Muhlenberg North 42. 2. Central 53. 3. Christian County 56. 4. Hopkinsville 106.
Dawson Springs had three varsity runners, but did not post a team score.
Girls
1. Dawson Springs 15.
Central ran four varsity runners, but did not post a team score.
Other runners competing included the following:
Boys
Central: Connor Moore (14th, 19:45), Landon Griffith (19th, 22:00), Cody Heady (20th, 23:20), Trey McBride (21st, 23:35), Donovan Dillingham (24th, 24:08), Brandon Holeman (27th, 28:16)
Dawson: Ryan McKnight (15th, 21:02)
Girls
Central: Sara Fleischmann (13th, 30:44)
Dawson: Elizabeth Black (fourth, 25:08), Demi Mitchell (fifth, 25:15), Rihana McKnight (sixth, 25:31), Tayler Mills (seventh, 25:39), India Robinson (10th, 26:41), Sara Huddleston (11th, 26:51), Maranda Starks (12th, 27:42)
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