Posted
by Matt Wenzel, Manistee News Advocate
September 19, 2012
BEAR LAKE — For 364 days each year, Bear Lake’s cross country course is quiet. The Lakers host just one meet a season, so they don’t mind putting on a show at home.
The Bear Lake girls did that Wednesday by posting a perfect team score during a West Michigan D League jamboree.
“We wanted a perfect score, so we tried to do what we could,” said senior Taylor Anderson, who capped the 1-2-3-4-5 finish for the Lakers. “It’s exciting.”
Both the girls and the boys finished first to complete a 3-for-3 sweep of the league jamborees ahead of the finals.
“We talked last week that we were going to do the first two miles hard, shooting for that goal pace, and then I gave them the option to run the last mile easy if they so chose,” said Bear Lake coach Tony Shrum. “Boys, girls — both of them I knew they wouldn’t do it. They’re all too competitive. I knew when they hit that last mile they were going to go, ‘you know what, I actually feel pretty good.’ It showed in the times and the results.”
The Bear Lake girls’ score of 15 is as good as it gets and was well ahead of runner-up Mason County Eastern, which finished with 70. Keena Gilbert led the way with a first-place finish in 20:58 to complete an individual sweep of the jamborees. She was followed by teammates Faith Moerdyk (second, 21:30), McKaya Groenwald (third, 21:37), Kelly Babcock (fourth, 21:54), Anderson (fifth, 22:13), Alycia Peterson (seventh, 22:20) and Meredith Hengy (eighth, 23:44).
“It’s been a big goal of ours to be close together,” Gilbert said of running in a pack. “I think we’re doing really good and everybody will be really good by regionals and state.”
The Bear Lake boys finished with 24 points, while Pentwater took second with 73.
John Girven led the Lakers by taking second in 18:01, followed by Shane Peterson (fourth, 18:49), Jordan Anderson (fifth, 18:50), John Schoedel (sixth, 18:58), Jared Bair (seventh, 19:01), Alex Barto (eighth, 19:12) and Cole Verrett (10th, 19:33).