Lake Michigan Invite @ Carthage College

 After a long training block, it was great to finally see some races!  We started strong with solid performances in the 4X800:  Alexis ran a great lead-off leg in 2:42; Kimmy looked tough, despite the 800 not being her favorite race, in 2:56; Karli made her track debut with a gutsy, albeit uneven, 2:56; and Joseline brought us home with a solid 2:58.  We clearly need some speed for these 800 times to drop, but I was pleased with the overall performance from this group. 

The 1600 was next (Wisconsin order of events), and our two competitors surpassed my expectations.  Ana ran a gutsy race, looking confident and determined the whole way.  Her time of 6:17 was solid for indoor, and I know she will easily shed time when we head outdoors.  In the next heat, Karolina ran a lifetime PR of 6:25!  While the PR was fabulous, her demeanor during the race was more impressive.  She looked increasingly confident with each lap; I am excited to watch her race again because I know a Sub-6:00 shirt is in her future! 

Thanks to the wildcard, we were able to race three people in the 800.  Alexis was supposed to run this race fresh, but she volunteered to fill in for Bug in the 4X800.  She smartly decided to ditch our pre-race plan and instead took the lead early when she realized her competitors were starting too slowly.  She looked confident and strong for the entire race and won her heat easily in a faster 2:41.  I am pleased with her strength in these races; last year there was no way she would have been able to run that well for two races in the same meet.  Nice work!  Cora was in the next heat, and she looked great for three laps!  I know that with a little more training, she will be able to close out that race like she used to.  Her time of 3:02 was solid considering she has been on reduced workouts as she deals with her hip issue.  It was great to see her race on the track again.  :)  Peyton was in the final heat and seemed very confident in her training going into the race.  Unfortunately, the lack of pure speed in our training hurt her in the first lap--she did not get out fast enough in order to reach her sub-3 goal.  That's the nice thing about indoor, though--it gives us a chance to see what we need to work on racing-wise.  I know when we get outdoors, she will rectify that situation! 

We closed out the night distance-wise with the 3200 run with Maira and Lindsay.  These two were in the same heat and worked together throughout the race.  They changed lead multiple times and seemed to lift each other during tough stretches.  At the end, Lindsay had more to give in the final 800 and finished in a solid time of 14:42.  Maira bounced back for the final lap and finished in 15:02, despite battling food poisoning for much of the week.  I think their cooperation bodes well for future races, as well as cross in the fall. 

Overall, we enjoyed a great day of racing and reunions.  We got to see Bailey Lippeth, Taylor Lindblad, Trevor DuBois, and Maggie Holland.  Thanks for the support, alumni!