BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports Report
BLOOMSBURG — All season long the Towanda cross-country coaches wanted Emmett Klees to try and hang with Boom Thompson during their races. On Thursday that strategy got both of them two states, along with Maris Cobb and Izzy Larson, as the District IV, Class AA Championships.
“Basically, we told (Emmett) go with Boom and see what you can do, and it worked out perfectly,” said Towanda coach Mike Maurer. “I’m super proud of the boys and girls teams. They came down, took third and fourth, and ran it all out there. They ran perfectly on both sides, I can’t ask for anything else.”
The girls came in knowing they had an outside shot of finishing top two as a team. Lewisburg (52) pulled away for first, so it came down to how they did against Danville, who beat them by 12 at the NEPA Invitational.
The Knights closed the gap, but still couldn’t overtake them, as the Ironmen finished with 70 points to Towanda’s 79.
“They ran perfectly, we had to come and down and execute,” Maurer said. “They executed, it just wasn’t in the cards for today.”
In her first district race Maris Cobb (19:17.3) ran in third all day and took home bronze, while Izzy Larson (19:39.3) was all over the place but had a strong finish to take fifth overall.
“It feels like an honor because I’m just a freshman,” Cobb said about taking third. “I got to place so high this year.”
She and Lewisburg’s Theo Wilkinson were neck-and-neck for the second half of the race, and it was Cobb besting her by a couple steps at the finish.
“It was nerve wracking,” Cobb admitted. “I knew where I had to finish in the race, and I’m just happy that I got where I got. I was able to break away from her.”
Now she gears up for her first state race next Saturday.
“It gives me a good mindset and a good idea of where I should be at place wise,” Cobb said.
Larson moved around most of the day, starting out around ninth, and even bounced out of the top 10.
“I really didn’t understand how big the competition would be,” she said. “Everyone was really close together, and I was kind of just hanging there, and then just picking them off as I went.”
Larson buckled down the second half of the race, sitting in seventh with about 1,000 meters to go.
“All that was going through my head was this is your third year,” explained Larson. “You’ve got to just pick them off, run as fast as you can, and just work on the hills, which is what we’re best at.”
She beat runners from Lewisburg and Danville down the final sprint to get her spot.
“I was really surprised,” Larson said. “Someone just told me to keep going, drive my knees, move my arms as fast as I could, and it worked out in my favor.”
She’ll be looking for that elusive state medal next Saturday.
“I definitely want to keep a good mindset,” Larson said. “Staying strong, keeping up on my training, and just having fun.”
It was heart break for Mary-Kate Eberlin (20:39.2), who was the first runner out. She was in the mix throughout, and even running inside the cut the second half of the race, but missed it by four seconds.
Kenzie Brown (21:17.7) took 22nd, and Lila Larson (22:04.2) came in 32nd.
For the boys this is the second state tournament Thompson has made this Fall sports season as he was busy on the links at the PIAA Golf Championships Monday and Tuesday.
“I would like to thank my coaches for letting me do two sports in the fall,” said Thompson. “Being a state qualifier in both is a dream come true.”
Thompson (17:00.4) was eighth overall with Klees (17:02.6) in 10th as the two worked off each other during the race.
“I was trying to hang with Boom, but unfortunately at the end there he got me, and I didn’t have any energy left,” Klees said. “He’s one of my main teammates that helped me there, because if I didn’t stay with him I might not have gotten 10th.”
Klees was also the highest placing freshman in the field.
“I got 10th place as a freshman to go to states, I think that’s pretty impressive,” said Klees. “I’m pretty thrilled that I’ll get to go to Hershey, and race agains the best in the state.”
For Thompson it’s a bit of redemption after just missing states last year as a freshman.
He and Klees were 14th and 15th at the early part of the race, and didn’t even break into the top 10 until inside the final 1000 meters.
“I was telling myself we’re going to have to go a little faster,” explained Thompson. “Stay with them, and push each other, and we’ve got to stay together.”
Having Klees really helped the two of them work their way up, not only against the field but also against a strong head wind.
“He’s a great kid, and really, really gifted,” said Thompson. “He went to Nationals in junior high last year, and having him all summer has been awesome.”
They’ll both be working hard this coming week to get ready for Hershey.
“It’s tough running this race because it’s all mental,” Klees said. “Once you get the physical part down it’s just pains taking.”
Hagen Jones (17:49.6) was 26th, Phillip Spinney (18:00.8) took 30th, and Jackson Frederick (18:33) came in 43rd.
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
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