NewsAthleticsUpper SchoolStudent LifeFaculty/Staff
Team attends Great American Cross Country Festival
Oct 4, 2005 4:16 PM
By Tannika King - Faculty
On Sept. 24, 10 members of Darlington’s cross country team traveled to Cary, N.C., to take part in the third annual Great American Cross Country Festival. This Nike-sponsored, nationwide event pulls schools from nearly 20 states to compete in what is known as one of the most competitive meets in the Southeast.
“This is always something real special for our team,” said Ken Wempe, head coach for boys and girls. “It’s fun and gives our runners a chance to see the top runners from other states. They also get to see some collegiate athletes and see how far running can take you.”
The top runner in the Boys 5k (3.1 miles) was senior Clark McGehee, who came in 37th with a time of 17:47, and the top runner in the Girls 5k was sophomore Elizabeth Buice, who came in 89th with a 24:50.
While in North Carolina, the team always likes to do something away from the race, so this year they took a campus visit of University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. “None of us had ever been there, and it was good to get away for a while,” said Wempe.
Senior Nick Lewis said he liked that this was a more casual race. "We had time to sleep in, go out to dinner as a team and just hang out the whole weekend. It was a kind of bonding experience," he said. "Also, I embrace any chance to improve myself, and races are an excellent way to measure that."
While at the festival, Coach Wempe was able to compete in one of the college races “unattached.” Out of 111 runners in the 8k (5 miles), he received a medal for placing 19th with a time of 27:24.
Upcoming meets include the second annual Darlington Invitational on Oct. 6 and the Georgia Highlands Invitational on Oct. 11.
“This is always something real special for our team,” said Ken Wempe, head coach for boys and girls. “It’s fun and gives our runners a chance to see the top runners from other states. They also get to see some collegiate athletes and see how far running can take you.”
The top runner in the Boys 5k (3.1 miles) was senior Clark McGehee, who came in 37th with a time of 17:47, and the top runner in the Girls 5k was sophomore Elizabeth Buice, who came in 89th with a 24:50.
While in North Carolina, the team always likes to do something away from the race, so this year they took a campus visit of University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. “None of us had ever been there, and it was good to get away for a while,” said Wempe.
Senior Nick Lewis said he liked that this was a more casual race. "We had time to sleep in, go out to dinner as a team and just hang out the whole weekend. It was a kind of bonding experience," he said. "Also, I embrace any chance to improve myself, and races are an excellent way to measure that."
While at the festival, Coach Wempe was able to compete in one of the college races “unattached.” Out of 111 runners in the 8k (5 miles), he received a medal for placing 19th with a time of 27:24.
Upcoming meets include the second annual Darlington Invitational on Oct. 6 and the Georgia Highlands Invitational on Oct. 11.
