AURORA | Coming out for cross country several weeks into the season, Brie Oakley didn’t get to run the Aurora Sports Park course during the Aurora City Championship meet.
So when the Grandview junior arrived at the Centennial League Championship meet Oct. 15, the new spectator-friendly layout made no difference to her and she capitalized on the flat and fast course.
Continuing her fantastic debut season in cross country, Oakley breezed to the girls varsity league championship, dominating the course — the same one on which she’ll run in regionals on Oct. 22 — in a school-record time of 17 minutes, 32 seconds. The course was estimated to be a little bit shorter than 3.1 miles, but Oakley’s time will stand as Grandview’s school record.
“I just wanted to get first and beat Creek,” said Oakley, who finished in front of two Cherry Creek runners, including Devon Peterson, the 2014 Centennial League champion and like Oakley a soccer player who also runs cross country.
The new course built by host Smoky Hill — off a plan from Overland’s David Ford, who will put on a regional meet featuring many of the same teams on the same course Oct. 22 — measured a little bit short, but within legal limits.
Grandview coach Allyson Robbins said some time may be added to Oakley’s time, but it will still top the previous team mark of 17:57.
“We’ll have to get together as a coaching staff and decide if that is going to stick since the course was maybe .04 short,” Robbins said. “We may even decide to add 10 seconds to it, but either way, Brie will still have it. She mashed.”
Oakley posted the best finish for a Grandview girl individually at the Centennial League meet, topping the second-place performance of Erin Norton in her senior season of 2013. Norton finished just a fraction of a second behind former Cherry Creek star Jordyn Colter in that race and also came in second behind Colter in 2012.
Former Wolves star Jamie Anderson also finished second in the 2008 league race.
Though the Wolves didn’t have any other girls runners earn first team all-league (1-7) or second team all-league (8-14) honors, they had a strong pack that helped them finish second as a team behind the Bruins. Kaitlyn Mercer, Caroline Robbins and Melanie Jenkins finished 15th through 17th and Erin Ellington’s 19th-place result helped Grandview finish three points ahead of third-place Cherokee Trail.
Leading the Cougars was junior Jordan Herrera, who finished fourth in a time of 18:42 — rising five spots from her finish last season to earn first team all-league honors — while seniors Amy McConnell (8th) and Kennedey McCurdy (14th) made the all-league second team.
Fifth-place Smoky Hill was paced by senior Julie Eoff, who posted a 12th-place finish, while senior Janine Taurchini — the Aurora city champion — helped Eaglecrest to sixth place.
“I was shooting for top 10,” said Taurchini, who was 17th in the league race last season. “I was a little disappointed in my race, but I did by best.”
Taurchini said the redesigned course took away some of the visual markers she typically uses on the course, but her time of 19:30 was 1:43 faster than her time at the city race.
Overland finished eighth as Katie Crilov’s 43rd-place result led the way.
Cherokee Trail, Grandview and Overland return to the Aurora Sports Park for the 5A Region 2 meet on Oct. 22, with the girls race set for 4 p.m. and the boys race scheduled for 4:45 p.m.
Eaglecrest and Smoky Hill head to City Park in Denver for 5A Region 1 on Oct. 23 (3 p.m. boys race, 3:30 p.m. girls race).
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2015 CENTENNIAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP CROSS COUNTRY MEET
Oct. 15 at Aurora Sports Park
Girls varsity team scores: 1. Cherry Creek 31 points; 2. GRANDVIEW 68; 3. CHEROKEE TRAIL 71; 4. Arapahoe 97; 5. SMOKY HILL 111; 6. EAGLECREST 133; 7. Mullen 216; 8. OVERLAND 249
Top 13 individuals (top seven 1st team all-league): 1. BRIE OAKLEY (GRANDVIEW), 17 minutes, 32 seconds; 2. Lillian Markusch (Cherry Creek), 18:11; 3. Devon Peterson (Cherry Creek), 18:25; 4. JORDAN HERRERA (CHEROKEE TRAIL), 18:42; 5. Katie Plomodon (Cherry Creek), 18:45; 6. Allison Marizza (Arapahoe), 18:54; 7. Kelly Waugh (Arapahoe), 19:22; (8-14 2nd team all-league): 8. AMY MCCONNELL (CHEROKEE TRAIL), 19:28; 9. JANINE TAURCHINI (EAGLECREST), 19:30; 10. Anne Raymond (Cherry Creek), 19:33; 11. Hannah Mimmack (Cherry Creek), 19:35; 12. JULIE EOFF (SMOKY HILL), 19:36; 13. Isabel Anema (Cherry Creek), 19:42; 14. KENNEDEY MCCURDY (CHEROKEE TRAIL), 19:42
Aurora team-by-team results (in order of finish, team scoring places)
Grandview (68): 1. Brie Oakley, 17:32; 15. Kaitlyn Mercer, 19:47; 16. Caroline Robbins, 19:48; 17. Melanie Jenkins, 19:55; 19. Erin Ellington, 19:58; 23. Kayla Vallin, 20:12; 27. Courtney Kramer, 20:27; Cherokee Trail (71): 4. Jordan Herrera, 18:42; 8. Amy McConnell, 19:28; 14. Kennedey McCurdy, 19:42; 21. Liz Thomas, 20:02; 24. Ella Steckler, 20:16; 25. Alexis Linhardt, 20:18; 34. Erica Knibbe, 21:18; Smoky Hill (111): 12. Julie Eoff, 19:36; 18. Carlie Andrie, 19:58; 20. Rhonda Patrom, 20:01; 29. Amelia Johannes, 20:38; 32. Kaycie Schubert, 21:10; 39. Sarah Power, 21:49; Eaglecrest (133): 9. Janine Taurchini, 19:30; 22. Mariah Gordon, 20:07; 31. Jessica McQuaid, 20:47; 35. Tatiana Rivera, 21:30; 36. Madelyn Rivera, 21:43; 38. Rebecca McMillian, 21:47; Overland (249): 43. Katie Crilov, 22:41; 50. Joanna O’Connell, 24:22; 51. Jeyssy Melgar, 24:53; 52. Asma Giornazi, 25:58; 53. Mercy Gelinas, 26:06
Full Centennial League Championship results, here.
