For almost all of their race Saturday at the Powerade Invitational cross country meet at Moccasin Bend, Red Bank’s Claire Turner and Bradley’s Jacquelin Pitcock ran side by side.

In the last 25 yards, Turner finally pulled away, narrowly defeating Pitcock in a finish that left both runners exhausted. Turner completed the five-kilometer course in 19 minutes, 26 seconds, and Pitcock was one second behind. Their times are the 13th and 14th best for girls in the 22-year history of the event.

“It’s pretty hot, but my legs feel good,” Turner said. “Jacqueline Pitcock, Virginia (Kelley) from Baylor and I were pretty much together the whole race.”

Turner said she got pumped up by the finish.

“It definitely got adrenaline going,” she said. “I had to keep going hard and running fast. There was no chance to relax.

“I had a long summer workout, training hard and working on legs to have final kick at end. We did a lot of track work. It was my goal to win with a time in the low 19s. I was a little off, but I’m happy with 19:26.”

So was her coach, David Kindiger.

“It’s the first race, so I was pleased with Claire’s performance,” he said. “Jacqueline Pitcock also ran a great race.”

Said Pitcock: “I felt pretty good out there. We pushed ourselves to see who’s better at the end. I wanted to get my time in the 19s, and I was able to do that. I just have to keep pushing.”

Kindiger sees Turner and Pitcock continuing to push each other.

“I think it moves them on forward,” he said. “They’re able to work together, work hard and race each other. When you do that, good things happen.”

Kelley, a Baylor sophomore who was 30th in the 2007 Division II state meet, finished third in 20:05. Teammate Mary Stagmaier was fifth at 20:23.

Brentwood Academy took the girls’ team title with 41 points, outdistancing second-place Baylor by 53. The Lady Eagles had four runners in the top 11 spots, led by Sam Wilson’s sixth-place time of 20:25.

Morristown West’s Spencer Frantom ran away from Rossview’s Jake Rainey to win the boys’ competition. Frantom’s time of 16:08 was 20 seconds better than Rainey’s.

“I felt good. I gave it my all,” said Frantom, who was fourth in the Powerade Invitational last year. “You can’t ask for any more. I’ve never had anyone fight back as hard as he did. I would push him, (he’d) push me. We’d go back and forth. Finally I went for it and he dropped back. I remember him from state, but that’s the only time we’ve raced.

“Hopefully I will keep improving my time, and once I go against better competition, they can push me into lower and faster times.”

Rainey finished sixth in the state meet, while Frantom finished 22nd.

“When we got past the light pole, he just took it from me,” Rainey said. “I had made up the difference, but he took it from me and I never got close again. I was pleased with my time, just not my place.”

Frantom led four Morristown West runners in the top six for the team title with 28 points. Father Ryan was second with 108.

Cleveland’s Alex Stephens was the highest area boys’ finisher, eighth in 17:04. Dalton’s Freddy Castillo was 16th in 17:31.

Baylor fourth at Berry

Baylor’s boys finished fourth with 181 points in the Class 4A-5A division of the Clara Bowl competition Saturday at Berry College near Rome. Baylor’s Bill Matthews was third individually in 16:07, while Brandon Lord was eighth in a time of 16:22. Skyler Townsend was 26th (17:07) and Mike Meadows 39th (17:28).

Northwest Whitfield finished 50th, led by Aaron Saylor’s time of 18:56.

Mountain Brook won the 4A-5A team title with 134 points, and Patrick McGregor of Hoover (Ala.) High won individually in 15:50.

Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe took 13th in the Class 1A-3A competition with 385 points. Jake Bradley was seventh with a time of 17:13. Pickens’ Tyler Dunn finished first at 16:33, while Westminster (60 points) held off Eagle’s Landing (67) for the team title.

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