Submitted by Washington cross-country

 

The Pam Pack Cross-Country has had several close races this year, unfortunately they have yet to break through. Wednesday, they made sure the result was never in doubt.  Sophomore Chris Sulc led the 3.1-mile race from start to finish, navigating the Pam Pack to a 26-52-55 victory over Farmville Central and Southwest Edgecombe. Sulc won the race with a time of 19:15, Junior Jacob Smith took second with a time of 19:51, while Trippe Bonner, Nick Everette, and Win Martin all placed in the top 10. On the girl’s side, Kennedy Landen placed second with a time of 24:05 to lead the Pack to a second-place finish. Anna Frisbie, Cassie Texeira and Katelyn Jones all placed top 10.

The Pam Pack team is a young and inexperienced team. Martin is the only four-year runner in the Washington top 10. Both Sulc and Smith are only running for their second year, Bonner is a freshman and other top-10 runner — D.K. Credle, Austin Coward, and Chris Lee — are running cross-country for the first time. For the girls, Landen, Frisbie and Hailey Respess are running for the second time, while Texeira, Jones, Brianna Woolard and Sara Spencer are all freshman. There are no senior girls for the Pack. The lack of experience has contributed to some growing pains, as runners would go out too fast or too slow and would lose races. Fortunately, for the Pack, the only conference race that matters is the Eastern Plains Conference Tournament on Oct. 21. Until then, the races are practice.

“We keep dropping time,” said head coach Toby McMahon. “Trippe, Austin, D.K. and Chris Lee have dropped time every race. Kennedy, Katelyn, Sara, Cassie, and Brianna have dropped time every meet but one. As long as we keep improving, we will compete in the conference race.”

Sulc was the only all-conference runner who was a freshman, and was one place from qualifying for the state championships at the regional meet.  He is hoping to win individual and team championships and qualify for state.

The Pam Pack boys have not qualified for state since 1993 and have not won a conference title since 1995.  The girls are looking for their second title and state trip in three years.  The question the Pack needs to answer is can they learn enough through racing to win the title? They have one month to find out.