Muddy conditions are just fine for Ray-Pec’s Devon Young

The grounds at the Longview Community College Campus were less than ideal on Saturday morning for those cross-country runners hoping to succeed at the Class 4 Sectional 4 meet and qualify for the state championships.

However, Raymore-Peculiar junior Devon Young somehow found the muddy terrain useful, and he believed the conditions led him to win the boys’ race and tie his personal record in 16 minutes, 7 seconds.

“Oh man, it was crazy!” Young said. “The weather was good but the course was really muddy, so it was really slick. I was flying all over the place.”

In the sectional meet, the top four teams and 30 individuals qualify for the Class 4 state meet next Saturday in Jefferson City, and Young made a statement at Longview by finally clearing the obstacles that had perpetually hindered him all season.

At almost every meet this season, Young has raced against some of the area’s top runners in Harrisonville senior Maksim Korolev, Lee’s Summit West senior Kevin Colon and the Lee’s Summit North Broncos, the team that actually won the boys’ overall race. Although it has been difficult to distinguish himself among that competition, Young can feel good that he finally topped Colon and the LS North Broncos before the biggest meet of the season.

“I wasn’t planning on going out as fast as I did today. I was going to hold back, but I was feeling pretty good, so I decided to go for it,” Young said. “If I set my mind to it, I can go out and win this weekend.”

Just like Young, Lee’s Summit West junior Chelsey Phoebus kept her footing in the girls’ race to win in 18:48. While Young will be Ray-Pec’s sole male representative in the state race, Phoebus will have her teammates with her as they were Saturday.

Overall, five LS West runners placed in the top 11 and the team crushed competitors by scoring an astonishing 21 points. Even still, Phoebus remains cautiously optimistic about her Titans’ bid to win a third consecutive team championship.

“I think we have a very good shot if everything goes well, but I don’t want to get my head in the clouds,” Phoebus said. “But with our coach (Jesse) Griffin training us as well as he has been and everyone staying healthy, I think we have a good shot.”

submitted by CANDACE BUCKNER - 2009-10-31 21:54:03

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