news-record.com

Alyssa Torres and Chelsea Hollingsworth are competitors: With opponents and with each other. But they're also Northwest Guilford cross country teammates, and they've figured out how to make each other and their team faster.

"In practice, they really challenge each other," says Paul Egleston, their coach, who will lead both Vikings teams into the 4-A state meet Saturday at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons. "At the beginning of the year, basically they were watching each other and not really taking a very kind approach to each other. Then after talking to them, it changed everything, and they changed. They really work with each other and they push each other. I don't believe Alyssa would be as fast without Chelsea, and Chelsea without Alyssa.

"Chelsea is probably one of the hardest-working girls I've ever had at Northwest. Alyssa is right there with her. Anything Chelsea does, Alyssa does. They're really good for each other."

Torres (19:09.9), a sophomore, and Hollingsworth (19:14.2), a senior, pushed each other to a 1-2 finish at the Midwest Regional on Saturday at Hagan- Stone Park, and the Vikings took second place, eight points behind Mount Tabor. While the Vikings lost senior Heidi Anderson to a hip injury about a month ago, strong runs from Kelly Snyder (20:40.2) and Taylor Rhodes (20:48.9) helped Saturday.

And Tori Tamborino (20:57.8), who finished 21st, rounded out the Vikings' first five in Anderson's absence.

Egleston is hoping for a top-seven finish from his girls. And possibly a top-seven from his boys team, as well. The Vikings' silent senior, Andrew Shields (fourth in the regional, 16:28), will lead the way.

"He doesn't say a whole bunch," Egleston says. "Probably in the years I've known him, he's said maybe a couple of sentences. He listens to me when I talk; he doesn't say much back. Andrew has done a very good job leading the way, very consistent."

The Northwest boys race at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The girls start at 3:30 p.m.

Five runners from the area qualified for the boys race as individuals: Patrick Crawford, East Forsyth; Brandon Cain, Southern Alamance; Jason Midkiff, East Forsyth; Naethan Burch, Grimsley; and Kevin Depopas, Grimsley.

Among the girls qualifiers are Grimsley's Tess Wynn and Southwest Guilford's Tori Shelton.

Welcome, Nighthawks

David Willoughby, Northern Guilford's cross country coach, wanted teams to know about him as he continues to build the young program. Now they do.

The Nighthawks' girls team, in its third season, will compete for the first time in the 3-A state meet at 3 p.m. Saturday at Tanglewood.

"I just wanted to get both teams to challenge for a conference title," Willoughby says. "If they didn't make it, I wanted other teams to know about us. I wanted teams to know they've been in a fight if they raced us."

Instead, it's the Nighthawks who are one of the four teams who raced their way out of the Mideast Regional and into the state field of 16. They've done it with a bit of experience (decorated junior Erin McGuirk was fourth in the regional) and a good bit of youth (two freshmen and two sophomores).

"She's been our go-to girl for three seasons," Willoughby says of McGuirk, who has won conference runner of the year three times and is undefeated in dual meets. Besides the girls team, freshman Jimmy Hollings worth qualified as an individual.

Page girls return

There was no drum roll, but Page cross country coach Zack Osborne still had to sweat out the announcement of the four girls teams that qualified for the state meet in Saturday's 4-A Midwest Regional.

"When the race was going on, our first two faltered," he says, "and I thought on paper that might've sealed it for us, might've been our death nail. I needed those two to go. When we listened to the announcements, we were a bit surprised. We were very lucky."

Lucky? Well, maybe. But Osborne's team got season or career bests at just the right time from its Nos. 3-5 runners — senior Jessica Kincaid (21:33), freshman Anne Bennett Osteen (21:40) and sophomore Caitlin Mills (22:04) — to be the third of the four state qualifiers in the meet at Hagan Stone Park.

Page will compete in the state meet at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Tanglewood.

Osborne is counting on his top two — freshman Austin Vass (season best 19:31) and sophomore Maggie Harahan (season best 19:52) — to finish strong. They've led the Pirates all season.

"I'm happy for them that we have another race," Osborne says.

Christiansen wins

Taylor Christiansen, a senior at Westchester, captured the Great Pumpkin Run 5K in Jamestown on Saturday. Christiansen was timed in 18 minutes and seven seconds. Shannon Scott finished second in 18:40.

My turn is over

The City of Oaks Marathon ended in a four-hour, 17-minute effort for me Sunday. The rolling course was a challenge, with three long climbs, although none of them were steep. Just lengthy.

Rain, rarely heavy, fell for almost all of the race. And winds of about 15 mph, gusting to 25 mph, in your face on the uphills added to the fun.

Got tips or suggestions?

Contact Eddie Wooten at 373-7093 or

eddie.wooten@news-record.com

.