ARIZONA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS DIVISION 1. Shannon 9th. Xavier 2nd.

The 2014 Cross Country Arizona State Championships were held this past Saturday, November 8th at the Cave Creek golf course in Phoenix. Along with a challenging course we also had unseasonably hot weather. If we didn’t have record temperatures for the day we were darn close. It is a great course with lots of rolling hills that can destroy a racer if they go out too fast.

Shannon and her team were very well prepared for the race and they raced strong and smart. Shannon led the Xavier Gators home with a 9th place finish and helped the Gators to a 2nd place finish. Shannon set her own personal record on the course beating her previous best by 31 seconds! Speaking of records the race winner, Dani Jones set a course record and beat her personal best by 34 seconds.

GREAT RACE XAVIER GATORS! GREAT RACE SHANNON!

Next up Nike Southwest.

States 2014_11_08-117157 Racers and 21 teams off the start.

States 2014_11_08-120Excitement of the start.

States 2014_11_08-125Xavier’s Shannon, Sierra, Jane and Caroline. #387 Dani Jones. Race Winner.

States 2014_11_08-134Shannon and Jane in the pack near the the front. First couple hundred meters into the race.

States 2014_11_08-155Shannon heading down a hill at about 1 1/4 mile into the race. Big crowd. Shannon is in 12th place here

States 2014_11_08-197Jane and Shannon in a front pack just after the 2 mile mark.

States 2014_11_08-258Shannon with less that 1000 meters to go. Shannon is in 9th place and would hold 9th place to the finish. Jane moved up to 10th place.

States 2014_11_08-263Nothing to do but finish.States 2014_11_08-371

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States 2014_11_08-390Daddy is happy too!!

States 2014_11_08-391Congratulations to Jane, Shannon and the 2014 Xavier Gators.

States 2014_11_08-396Top 21. Xavier Gators. Sierra, Jane, and Shannon.

States 2014_11_08-401Well Done Xavier 7. Jane, Shannon, Caroline, Shannon, Tessa, Sarah, Sierra.

States 2014_11_08-406Congratulations Xavier Gators!!! It’s not over yet. Eden, Jane, Shannon, Caroline, Vitto, Shannon, Tessa, Sarah, Sierra, Dave.

2014 Arizona States Championships Division 1 video.

Results

Xavier College Preparatory link.

 

Xavier Cross Country Sectional Meet 10-31-14

The Xavier Cross Country team headed to Gilbert, AZ on Halloween for their mid-day Sectional meet. Even for Arizona it was hot for the end of October. Xavier won their division convincingly putting 5 in the top 13 and qualifying for next weekend’s state meet.

Shannon had quite the race. Shortly after the start Shannon moved to the front and led the field for a while. Shannon stayed strong through out the race and finished a solid 4th.

Sectionals 2014_10_31-101Pre-race pep talk.Sectionals 2014_10_31-107Race Start.Sectionals 2014_10_31-133Shannon Leading the Field.Sectionals 2014_10_31-140Shannon in P1.Sectionals 2014_10_31-381Heading to the Line.Sectionals 2014_10_31-384Finishing strong.Sectionals 2014_10_31-487Xavier 1st Place

Xavier Cross Country Sectional  video

Xavier Sectional meet result

Desert Twilight XC Festival 10-03-2014

The Xavier Gators returned to Arizona with great confidence after their strong performance in California two weeks prior.

The Desert Twilight Cross Country Festival is Arizona’s largest and most unique cross country meet. Raced under the lights on a flat and fast course. Desert Twilight attracts schools from across the nation. This year there was a big presence of schools from Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The same course will be used in a few weeks for the Nike Southwest qualifier.

Shannon again ran in a Sweepstakes race which had 21 teams and 152 girls. Shannon again showed good form and strength. Shannon finished 22 overall, was the 2nd Gator in and had 41 second PR! The Gators finished second.

Shannon’s time on the 5K course was a 18:12.67. Full results.

Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-179Warming up.Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-176Shaking out the legs

Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-191On the starting line receiving instructions.Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-195Shannon’s biggest fan. Heading to the other side of the course for the start.Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-204And yet more instructions.Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-211And they are off. Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-228Shortly after the start and near the front.Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-236Early in the race with teammate Jane Miller.Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-293Moving up through the pack.Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-381Heading to the finishing straight.Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-389Bringing it home. Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-467 Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-508 Desert Twilight 2014_10_03-534With their hardware. Xavier took 2nd. Well done!

Xavier Cross Country goes to California.

Shannon and her Xavier Cross Country team headed over to southern California this past weekend for the 34th Annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic. The course was flat, fast and the field featured some of the top High School runners in the nation.

The race was run under the lights in cool weather on a fast 3 mile course. There were about 160 runners in the sweepstakes race. Also a great race atmosphere with a loud and big crowd.Woodbridge CC Classic 2014_09_20-228

The plan for Xavier going into the race was to stay together as a pack and run 6 minute mile splits for the first two miles then blow out the last mile. From where we watched the race we were able to see the girls come by three times in the first mile.Woodbridge CC Classic 2014_09_20-247

Woodbridge CC Classic 2014_09_20-250The pace off the start was fast and the 6 minute mile pace was quickly scrapped. Early off the start line and by us for the first time Xavier was close to the back. By the second time by they had started moving up and the third time by, at the mile mark they were about mid-pack. The race leader and eventual winner, Destiny Collins (ranked number 1 in the country) ran the first mile in 5:04. She had about a 20 second gap on the next pack through. We didn’t get a mile split for Shannon and her teammates but we figure they came through at about 5:40.Woodbridge CC Classic 2014_09_20-262

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Woodbridge CC Classic 2014_09_20-336

The course was great for spectators as they wound through the park and we were able to see them at three different locations. 

Woodbridge CC Classic 2014_09_20-343

Woodbridge CC Classic 2014_09_20-344

Shannon held strong throughout the race and had a great finish. I think it was her best High School race. Shannon crossed the line at 17:42, a 50 second PR! (Personal record) and second Xavier girl in. Most of the cross country meets that Shannon has been running are 3.1 miles so Shannon’s previous 3 mile best time was in her freshman year. That being the case though if she can run as strong in her next races she should have more PRs coming.

Woodbridge CC Classic 2014_09_20-381

 

Sweepstakes results

Video You can see Shannon in the video at: 1:04 far side, 1:39 far side, 2:25 and 7:56.

Race report. Shannon does get a mention.

 

2014 Xavier Cross Country Season is off to a good start.

Shannon and her Xavier cross country team headed up to Flagstaff this past Saturday for the Peaks XC Invitational. Shannon finished 6th overall and her team won the meet. For this season the team is deploying a pack running strategy. Looks like they nailed it.

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Lining up for the start.

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Early in the pack.

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Still early in the race. Between 200 – 300 meters into the race.

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The Captain checking on her team.

Peaks XC Invitational 2014_09_06-197 Peaks XC Invitational 2014_09_06-250 Peaks XC Invitational 2014_09_06-272

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2014 Peaks XC Invitational Champions.