CCS duo win again in dam 5K

When competing at Chickamauga Dam recreation area, Chattanooga Christian’s Jessica Duble and Matt Coniglio feel the need to “protect their house.”

Both were victorious Saturday in the Cross Country Festival five-kilometer race at the previous site of their home meets. Combined with their wins in the two-mile kickoff event in August, the two swept the meets held at the dam.

Coniglio, who won the boys’ race in a course-record 16:49.34, says a sense of pride comes over him when running at this particular venue.

“I feel like I have a duty to uphold the course,” he said. “It’s a great one. It was my first cross country race in high school, and there are a lot of fond memories for me. We used to have our invitational here before we turned it over to the league. We used to come practice here but haven’t in a couple of years, so it’s kind of our official home course.

“I love it, but some people can’t stand the hills. I think it’s better now with the second addition to make it a 5K. A lot can survive the hill, but they’re not going to survive round two and go through the circuit all over again.

“It’s pretty murderous — you have to be in shape to do it.”

The Chargers senior had a good pace even before taking over during the second mile.

“I wanted to stay back early,” he said. “I wasn’t really sure how things would start out. We went out at 4:50 during the two-mile race. With a lot of guys that haven’t run the course before, I wasn’t sure so I decided to stay back. I decided to make some downhill move because I’m not strong enough to carry anything uphill, then distanced myself away and kept the pace rolling strong.

“I think I had a good run. I’m pleased.”

Like Coniglio, Duble took over in the early going and never let up, defeating second-place Kathleen LaPorte of St. Pius X of Atlanta by nearly 23 seconds. Duble’s time of 19:40.77 marks the first time she has run the course in under 20 minutes.

“I’m pretty excited by how I did,” she said. “I like my time really well. I’m almost positive I’ve never gone under 20 minutes here. I feel good about my time: I felt strong and in a rhythm. It was a strong race, and a good race too. I tried to take over early and make sure nobody got too far away. I wanted to stay with somebody early.”

Duble said that although most don’t like the course, she has no problem with it.

“We usually host meets here,” the two-time defending A/AA state champion said. “We started running here when I was a freshman, so I’m pretty used to it. I like it, but I don’t know why since everyone on my team hates it.”

The field she defeated was impressive. LaPorte won the Georgia Class AAAA state championship in 2007, and third-place Dianna Eddington of McMinn Central was fifth in last year’s A/AA state meet.

“I feel I did pretty well,” said LaPorte, a junior. “It was a strong race. (Duble) is about where the top girls are coming.”

LaPorte said that St. Pius X, which finished third in Georgia’s 2007 quad-A meet, hopes to compete for a state title in a new classification.

“We’re hoping our team can finish first this year,” she said. “We had some strong freshmen come in and hope to move up. Individually, I’m hoping to keep my state champion in a new class.”

Baylor wins McCallie meet

The Baylor Red Raiders were victorious in the McCallie Invitational Saturday with a total of 44 points, defeating second-place Hoover (Ala.) by 18.

Baylor’s Bill Matthews won individually in 15:40.90, outdistancing Hoover’s Nick Perkins by 27 seconds. Brandon Lord took fifth in 16:15, while Skyler Townsend (16:20.20, eighth) and Mike Meadows (16:32.30) gave the Red Raiders four top-11 finishers.

McCallie’s Riley Young finished third in 16:11.10, and Will Raby was ninth in 16:22.10. The Blue Tornado were fifth as a team with 108 points.

Baylor’s girls were second and GPS was fifth. The Lady Red Raiders’ Mary Stagmaier was sixth in 19:39, while Virginia Kelley was eighth in 19:40.50 and Hannah Jumper was ninth at 19:49.

GPS’s Nandia Taylor paced her squad and finished 14th overall at 20:38.

Oak Ridge took the team title with 29 points.

Bradley, McMinn fare wel

Bradley Central’s and McMinn County’s teams traveled to Nashville’s Percy Warner Park, site of the Tennessee state meet, to compete in the Tennessee Classic and came back with good results.

The Bradley girls took 15th overall with 443 points. Science Hill’s girls, who were second in last year’s state meet, won with 78 points.

Bradley’s Jacquelin Pitcock had a sixth-place finish, at 19:43.08. Teammate Becky Chillinsky was 49th at 21:39.11.

McMinn’s Cherokees were 30th in the boys’ race, led by sophomores Junior Cifuentes (40th) and Caleb Young (106th). Bradley’s boys took four individual runners, with Jake Curtis (111th) and Trent Rutledge (140th) posting personal-best times.

Daviess County from Owensboro, Ky., took first with 96 points. Knoxville West’s Matt Sonnefeldt was the individual champion in 15:41.87.