BOYS WINNER - Ryan Gousse - Senior @ Trinity Prep
"I thought it was his best performance of the year." That is how Trinity Prep Coach Ken Vinal describes standout Ryan Gousse at the Disney Cross County Classic. The senior finished first in the 1A race in a time of 15:48.97.
"I liked the fact that he was aggressive and went out there and led the race the whole time. He doesn't usually do that."
Leading from the gun and making things happen early on was the game plan for Gousse as well as teammate Daniel Salas. Gousse left his fellow Saints and ran virtually alone from 1200 meters on. Vinal says the team wasn't very familiar with the course and with the weather being hit or miss he didn't really know what to expect. Trinity Prep will compete in the Friday race at Pre-State this weekend giving Gousse one last real race before the postseason begins.
"We won't be going up against the big teams so Ryan and Daniel will be their own competition. It's an opportunity for them to have a solid effort on the state meet course and it will be the last meet they have before our district meet and the last opportunity for them to get out there and race against other people."
During the break Coach Vinal's troops will focus on mile repeats and short speed work like 200's and 400's. Vinal says it's a time to see if you are ready to go to meets and run really fast, a challenge he believes Gousse is definitely ready for.
"By the time we go to the state meet I would like to see him be under 15:30. I hate saying that though because in cross country the weather is going to effect if they reach a certain time or goal. There are a lot of great runners in 1A. Daniel Moore of Holy Trinity is one of the best in the state. Gousse really wants to get in there and be top two or three at the state meet, and depending on what kind of day the other runners at the meet have, be in a position to win it."
Ryans Athlete Profile
GIRLS WINNER - Brittney Olinger - Sophomore @ Oak Hall
Oak Hall sophomore Britney Olinger has finished in the top fifteen at the 1A state meet the last three year improving each race. This year she has continued that improvement dropping her time to a season best 18:36.11 at the Bobcat Classic. Coach Ed McTureous says it was the most complete race Olinger has run all year.
"It was a great run for Brittney. She put all 3.1 miles together and that has been backed up by all the training she has put in this year. It was a great meet for her and I'm just looking forward to this weekend where she will run against some of the top competition at Pre-State."
The win was Olinger's second of the season and the second time in as many years winning the Buchholz Bobcat Classic. The last runner to do that was Crystal Miner of Buchholz who set the feat in 2003 and 2004. McTurious thinks it was a good win for the youngster's confidence.
"It was good to win it back to back. We had Mandarin there and Milton from Georgia coming down so I knew the competition would be great. I knew there would be four girls up there that were going to be pushing it and I told Brittney to make sure the pace was honest and push it the last mile. The last 1200 meters she made her move, pulled away from Ponder, and got the win."
No matter what happens as Olinger develops the main goal is improvement. As an eighth grader she finished 6th and last year came in one place higher in fifth. McTurious says Olinger is a hard worker and when the state meet comes around hopefully that hard work pays off.
"Hopefully we can improve on her fifth place finish from last year, but if we get there and she runs her best race ever she might not finish better than fifth. The competition this year in 1A is very good, but there are always new kids as well so you never know from year to year. It's important when we get to the postseason to enjoy it as much as you can because you never know where you are going to be next year. That's why it's important to live in the moment. "
Brittney's Athlete Profile