5:45AM Bus

The buses leave WHS at 5:45am Saturday morning.

Wendy's

NC Runners on Wendy's .  Also see midseason rankings, girls and boys.

But don't forget the Hannah! video.

McAlpine -- A video look at the course

NC Runners has posted an 8 minute video of the course.  It will probably be more crowded on Saturday.

Hannah!

NC Runners interviews Hannah Barbour.

The Wendy's Invitational, this Saturday

 The Wendy's announcement, with full schedule, and the NC Runners page

That Girls Individual Race (12:15pm UPDATE:  OOops, 12:30pm) is going to be big.  There were almost 500 last year (in a Freshman/Sophomore race and a separate Junior/Senior race).  And 556 in a combined race in 2009.  It's going to be combined again this year.  All of Watauga's girls, except for the top 7, will be running all together in that race.

Be sure to read Coach Honea's assessment:  Boys, Girls.

Key times for Watauga (Thanks WCC Boosters):
5:45am   Buses leave WHS
9:00am   Arrive at course
10:00am   Women’s Invitational (Darby M., Madison H., Hailey M., Hannah B., Doria K., Taylor N., Molly R.)
10:30am    Men’s Invitational (Peter V., Andrew V., Josh A., Bryan B., Dustin H., Avery P., Michael H.)
12:00 noon    Men’s Individual Freshmen/Sophomores
12:30pm    Women’s Individual (all classes)
1:00pm   Men’s Individual Junior/Senior

There will be other races.  (Know your time.  Know the course.)

Directions (or try Google page)
Wendy's Invitational (8711 Monroe Rd., Charlotte, NC)
North from I-77...take Brookshire Freeway (I-277) exit east to Independence Blvd. Follow Independence Blvd. east (approx. 6 miles) until Village Lake Drive. Turn right onto Village Lake Drive. Travel on Village Lake Drive for less than a mile until it dead ends into Monroe Road. Turn left onto Monroe Road and McAlpine Creek Park will be less than a mile on your left (just before Railroad overpass).

UPDATE (Thanks WCC Boosters and WendyV): "Usually if you go past the entrance to the park on your left, you will find overflow parking on the left at a shopping center just up the road.  It is much easier to get in and out if you park there.  Most of the time volunteers with vests will tell you where you can park - the businesses that are not open on Saturdays.  After you park, you just follow the others down a bank and go to the right at the bottom.  After you pass the train trestle, you will keep walking and usually see Watauga's tent on the left.  The starting line and finish will be straight ahead."

And a map of McAlpine Park.  It has 5k course marked, but does not show start or finish.  UPDATE:  Her's a better link to the map.  But maybe this one will be more useful.

Vandenberg, Middlebrook

Having a great season already, with lots ahead.  Bryan and Anna also won the JV races, and Madison and Josh had a strong races.

Go Blue Ridge reports on Saturday's meet.

NC Runners has Week 6 in Review.

UPDATE:  In the Open 5K, unofficially, Tailwinds beat unattached.  By my count.  It was close.  And fast.
Also, unofficially, in the Open 2 mile race, Lincoln Charter edged Galax.  Tailwinds and unattached also ran strong races.

2nd UPDATE:  And  H. Perry wins WXC.net's Runner of the Meet for his 22:12 for 3rd place in the Open 5K.

Great meet today

There were teams from all over the region, including: Farragut from Knoxville, Northwestern from Rock Hill, Hermitage from Richmond.  And of course, Ashe County and a one-man team from St. Stephens.  Full list.

Watauga won all 4 team competitions, and Watauga runners won all 4 individual races too.

No results yet on NC Runners.  Update -- Honea has boys' results (for Watauga only). 
Update --And Honea for Watauga girls.

NC Runners results:
Open 2 mile (57 runners!)
Open 5K
JV Girls
JV Boys
Varsity Girls
Varsity Boys

Volunteer opportunities for Saturday

There are still lots of important volunteer opportunities for Saturday's event.

Open Race - 9:00
Middle School Race 9:40
JV girls - 10:00 am
JV boys - 10:30 am
Varsity girls - 11:00
Varsity boys - 11:30

Don't be late.  There will be the Dog Jog nearby at 11:00am and displaced football parking for a 3:30pm game.

And of course, don't miss the Open Race.  Flyer.

High Country Classic coming up Saturday

Saturday's races will include teams from South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.  Here is a map of the 5K course.  It will include a loop around the ASU fields next to the ASU State Farm parking lots, both sides of the covered bridge.

Boys and Girls polls are out on NC Runner.

Update: Volunteer opportunities, of course.

Halfway through the 2011 season

We're about halfway through the cross country season.  The Clash of the Classes was a month ago and practices started 7 weeks ago.  The Conference Championship is a month away, possibly followed by regional and state championship races.

Our last home meet  is Saturday.  Don't forget the open race and kids' race at 9:00 and 9:30.  "Tell your friends, parents, and neighbors to come."  There will be volunteer opportunities too.

Around the state -- links to coverage

Coach Honea covers results, including Kayla Schneider's 19th place at Friday meet.  See NC Runners on the meet in Cary.  Top times from those races.  And WNCPrepTrack report on TC Roberson's day there.

Also, Coach Honea points to these other recent rankings (DyeStat) that have Watauga girls 9th in the Southeastern region (Delaware to Kentucky to Florida).

Update:  And see NC Runners' Week 5 in Review for other results.

Practice is off campus Monday.  The arrival of the bus will probably be a little later than usual ending time.

NC Runners state rankings

From NC Runners, " where I think the teams are right now, not where I think they will be at the end of the year. "  Girls: 5th, between Ardrey Kell, 3rd, and TC Roberson, 7th.  Boys: 21st, with Mt. Tabor 1st, TC Roberson, 7th, Ardrey Kell, 9th,  North Lincoln, 24th.

Update:  By the way, these rankings include schools from all classes.

Chris McDougall Born to Run events

Ray Russell reports that Chris McDougall will be running Friday afternoon at Valle Crucis. " He graciously agreed to extend his stay in Boone through Friday in order to have a Community "Run with Chris" event. Come join us at Valle Crucis School Friday, 5-7 PM for an opportunity to meet Chris and take a brief, easy run. It will be fun! See the Run with Chris Facebook Event Page for details."

And more stationary events

Update: and videos of a couple of his talks, focusing on running:
15 minute Ted talk
and
15 minute Fora.tv talk

Looking ahead -- 5K community race and 2 mile kid race

Watauga Cross Country Boosters reports: 
A 5K race community race and 2 mile kid race!
Saturday, September 24, before the Mast General Store's High Country Classic.
9:00am  "Get Off the Road" 5K
9:30am  Kid race

Non-refundable Entry fee: (Payable to Watauga Cross Country)

$10 postmarked by September 20, 2011 $15 after the deadline or on race day.  

Each runner will receive a short-sleeved t-shirts.
entry form

Send  early entries to:

Randy McDonough

c/o Hardin Park School

361 Jefferson Rd.

Boone, NC 28607

Team wins this afternoon

Both Watauga teams won.  Now 10 days until the next meet.  Keep running!

Cross Country Meet Wednesday

Watauga Cross Country Boosters reports:  

Watauga High is hosting a meet with Hibriten, S. Caldwell and Hickory.

Boys 5:00
Girls 5:30   

A standard 5K race that starts with a loop around the fields on the left bank.

Update 9/14:  Oops.  Got that wrong about the course.  The only loop on the left bank was the climb and descent on the Kennedy Trails.  It was a tough 5K.

Elsewhere (especially Wilmington)

Coach Honea reports on other meets around the region.  The Seahawk Invitational in Wilmington had lots of top teams, including Ardrey Kell and Green Hope.  NC Runners has full coverage (UPDATE: good free photos here, but we'll be seeing these teams in person soon enough).  Other meets included TC Roberson at Spartanburg.

Also, ASU  is having another meet this Friday, 9/16, at 5:00PM, at the Greenway.

Looking ahead

The next meet is here in Boone next Wednesday afternoon.

And then after 10 days without a meet, we have a larger meet here on Saturday, 9/24.  That includes an open race at 9:00am.  (That means open to the public, that is, parents, not to JV runners.)  Also, a middle school race at 9:40am.  Question -- Do runners in the open  and middle school races need to sign up early?  The middle school race is free.

The Wendy's Invitational will be the following Saturday, October 1st, in Charlotte.  A good meet to watch.  NC Runners' page.

The comments requirements on this site have been eased, so if anybody has anything to add . . .

Reading our press clippings

Go Blue Ridge reports on Wednesday's meet.

Good Results

NC Runners has posted results from today's meet.  4 team wins in 4 races, with North Lincoln coming in 2nd in each.  The Varsity Boys was very close.  Watauga had 3 individual wins: VandenbergP, MiddlebrookD, and Roberts.  In results for the open races, you see Watauga all over the top (and really, all over the whole lists, top to bottom).

Wednesday -- Caldwell County Meet

Last year, 32 teams competed in this meet (Note - This link is to last year's meet and results).  We'll see how many can make it this year, after a day's delay.  Races at 5:00. 5:30, 6:00, and 6:30pm.  (Note: That means bus will not be back to WHS before 8:00pm.  And be sure to have a hot supper ready.)

Update Wed. 9/7 7:40pm:  Don't rush to the high school to meet the bus.  Awards just starting.  My estimate: arrive around 9:00pm.  But I'm always early.

Tuesday meet postponed until Wednesday

The meet in Lenoir is now scheduled for Wednesday.  There will be practice this afternoon.

Do we still have enough drivers?  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/transportation24

Update 6:00pm -- Looks like 25 seats for the trip to Lenoir, but only 21 for return.
And lots of slots for selling concessions Thursday 5:00-9:30pm.

And did you see Who to Watch in NC?  Nobody from WHS, this week, but still interesting.

Tuesday -- Be ready to run

It might rain Tuesday.  OK, it might rain a lot.  If there is no lightning and no flooding, the race will still happen.  The first race is scheduled for 5:00PM and the last at 6:30PM.  See Coach Honea's blog for many details.  There's a chance of racing on time, of racing late, of having practice instead, and of not knowing what's going to happen.

Come prepared for a wet day, whenever (and wherever) you run.

And don't forget about volunteering Thursday. Lots of slots left, so far.

Directions:  Caldwell County Cross County Invitational (Soccer Complex, Lenoir).
From Boone, take highway 321 through Blowing Rock to Lenoir. Take a left at Nuway Circle (stoplight before Bo's, before you get to Walmart).  Go approx. 0.5 miles and turn right onto Zack Forks Road which will take you to the soccer complex (on your right) and the start and finish of the race.  (Or type "1050 Zacks Fork Road" into Google Maps or other.)

Last week's relays -- more results

Go Blue Ridge had some results from Northwestern Relays also. Congratulations, Cambodia and Clementines.

Volunteers to drive Tuesday and sell food (raise money) Thursday?

Need another driver or two and a several food vendors, as of this morning.

Southeastern rankings

Here are regional rankings.  And here.  Several familiar teams joining Watauga girls:  Green Hope (#2), Ardrey Kell, Dorman SC (who we saw in Hendersonville).  And in boys', Mt. Tabor.

Partial results, looking ahead

From yesterday's relays, here are Coach Honea's results, for Watauga runners (not teams).

The Caldwell County Invitational is coming up next Tuesday in Lenoir.  It will start an hour or so after school.

There are two more events still to come in Boone, on September 14 and the High Country Classic, on September 24.

Update:  It looks like official results might not be posted for Wednesday's relays.  It was a fun event.  Several A few other schools did show up: including Hickory, South Caldwell, and Avery Alexander (right? Update: Nope. Wrong again.  It was Alexander.  See this GBR story.), but it had the feel of an intrasquad competition.