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FOLSOM - Yes, Coach Freitas, she did cross the finish line.
Lucie McKirdy fell to the ground, collapsing in complete exhaustion, after gutting out a final sprint that, in the end, gave the Nevada Union varsity girls a second-straight trip to the California State Championships.
The Miners took second place in Saturday's Sac-Joaquin Section Championships at Folsom High School, finishing behind back-to-back Division I champion Davis and - by the slimmest of margins - ahead of third-place Modesto. Davis won with 68 points, ahead of NU's 76 and Modesto's 77.
Modesto couldn't have been closer.
"That means it could have changed with one person passing one more person or one less person," said Freitas, head coach of the girls program. "It's every single runner counting in this sport. That's what's so cool about it. Even if you're the number seven runner and you're not up front, you're still doing your job back there.
"Running is an individual sport, but when it comes to cross country it's definitely a team sport - especially when you're trying to do something like get to the state meet."
Huddled around McKirdy, members of both the NU varsity and junior varsity squads looked on as their fallen teammate gathered her composure. Once McKirdy was herself again, Freitas joked by asking if she did, indeed, cross the finish line prior to collapsing.
She had and she crossed 19th place, just ahead of teammates Shannon Lingo (20th), Laura Rodrigues (21st) and Shannon Buckley (22nd).
"The effort was there," Freitas said of McKirdy's final stretch. "She probably passed 20 people in her last third of a mile. It was phenomenal what she did."
The Miners were led by sophomore Hannah Harrison's 14th place finish in 20:45. Her classmate Maya Bernadett, who ran the junior varsity race at subsections, finished in 15th place.
NU finished with all seven of its varsity runner in the top 30, as senior Karly Powell took 27th place for the Miners.
NU's varsity girls will compete Nov. 27 in the CIF State Championships in Fresno.
Nevada Union senior Caitlin Schultheiss won the junior varsity event, clocking a 22 minutes, 7 second race for first place.
Lucie McKirdy fell to the ground, collapsing in complete exhaustion, after gutting out a final sprint that, in the end, gave the Nevada Union varsity girls a second-straight trip to the California State Championships.
The Miners took second place in Saturday's Sac-Joaquin Section Championships at Folsom High School, finishing behind back-to-back Division I champion Davis and - by the slimmest of margins - ahead of third-place Modesto. Davis won with 68 points, ahead of NU's 76 and Modesto's 77.
Modesto couldn't have been closer.
"That means it could have changed with one person passing one more person or one less person," said Freitas, head coach of the girls program. "It's every single runner counting in this sport. That's what's so cool about it. Even if you're the number seven runner and you're not up front, you're still doing your job back there.
"Running is an individual sport, but when it comes to cross country it's definitely a team sport - especially when you're trying to do something like get to the state meet."
Huddled around McKirdy, members of both the NU varsity and junior varsity squads looked on as their fallen teammate gathered her composure. Once McKirdy was herself again, Freitas joked by asking if she did, indeed, cross the finish line prior to collapsing.
She had and she crossed 19th place, just ahead of teammates Shannon Lingo (20th), Laura Rodrigues (21st) and Shannon Buckley (22nd).
"The effort was there," Freitas said of McKirdy's final stretch. "She probably passed 20 people in her last third of a mile. It was phenomenal what she did."
The Miners were led by sophomore Hannah Harrison's 14th place finish in 20:45. Her classmate Maya Bernadett, who ran the junior varsity race at subsections, finished in 15th place.
NU finished with all seven of its varsity runner in the top 30, as senior Karly Powell took 27th place for the Miners.
NU's varsity girls will compete Nov. 27 in the CIF State Championships in Fresno.
Nevada Union senior Caitlin Schultheiss won the junior varsity event, clocking a 22 minutes, 7 second race for first place.
NU boys finish fifth
The defending section champion Nevada Union's varsity boys team missed a state finals berth by 24 points, as the Miners finished fifth - two spots behind the final qualifying slot earned by Rocklin with 102 team points.
Davis took first place in the boys' competition with 52 points. Sheldon was second with 70.
The good news for Nevada Union is that the future looks to be running on strong legs, as six of the Miners seven varsity runners will return next season.
Andrew Primrose, who will be one of NU's returning lettermen, led the Miners with a 16th place finish in a field dominated by underclassmen. Eight of the top 10 finishers in the Division I boys' meet will be back again next fall.
Despite his top 20 finish, Primrose was anything but satisfied by his - or his team's - performance.
"Actually, I'm a little disappointed," he said minutes after the race. "I'm disappointed the team didn't make (state). But what can you do? We're young and we'll be back to make another run at it next year.
"I felt a little tired (Saturday). I've been tired all year, though. I just haven't had full legs."
Barrett Vertrees, a sophomore, finished as NU's No. 2 man Saturday, taking 25th place in the section meet. Sophomore classmates Parker Brown, Sean Lane and Dan Freitas ran to 29th, 40th and 44th places, respectively.
Sophomore Cody Hood was 47th, while senior Robin Carr finished 53rd.
In Division I freshmen boys race, the Miners got a second place finish from Chris Greiner.
In the D-I sophomore race, NU was led by Stephen Sarantopoulus' ninth place finish.
Sac-Joaquin Section
VARSITY BOYS
The defending section champion Nevada Union's varsity boys team missed a state finals berth by 24 points, as the Miners finished fifth - two spots behind the final qualifying slot earned by Rocklin with 102 team points.
Davis took first place in the boys' competition with 52 points. Sheldon was second with 70.
The good news for Nevada Union is that the future looks to be running on strong legs, as six of the Miners seven varsity runners will return next season.
Andrew Primrose, who will be one of NU's returning lettermen, led the Miners with a 16th place finish in a field dominated by underclassmen. Eight of the top 10 finishers in the Division I boys' meet will be back again next fall.
Despite his top 20 finish, Primrose was anything but satisfied by his - or his team's - performance.
"Actually, I'm a little disappointed," he said minutes after the race. "I'm disappointed the team didn't make (state). But what can you do? We're young and we'll be back to make another run at it next year.
"I felt a little tired (Saturday). I've been tired all year, though. I just haven't had full legs."
Barrett Vertrees, a sophomore, finished as NU's No. 2 man Saturday, taking 25th place in the section meet. Sophomore classmates Parker Brown, Sean Lane and Dan Freitas ran to 29th, 40th and 44th places, respectively.
Sophomore Cody Hood was 47th, while senior Robin Carr finished 53rd.
In Division I freshmen boys race, the Miners got a second place finish from Chris Greiner.
In the D-I sophomore race, NU was led by Stephen Sarantopoulus' ninth place finish.
Sac-Joaquin Section
VARSITY BOYS
DIVISION I
Team scoring
1. DAVIS-SR. 52; 2. SHELDON 70; 3. ROCKLIN 102 - 5. NEVADA UNION 126.
Individual scoring
1. Jake Matthews (Jr.) Folsom 16:48
2. Tim Cannon (Jr.) Rocklin, 16:33
3. Marlon Patterson (Jr.) Franklin 16:43
16. Andrew Primrose (Jr.) NU 17:28
25. Barrett Vertrees (So.) NU 17:44
29. Parker Brown (So.) NU 17:47
40. Sean Lane (So.) NU 18:11
44. Dan Freitas (So.) NU 18:21
47. Cody Hood (So.) NU 18:27
53. Robin Carr (Sr.) NU 18:48
Team scoring
1. DAVIS-SR. 52; 2. SHELDON 70; 3. ROCKLIN 102 - 5. NEVADA UNION 126.
Individual scoring
1. Jake Matthews (Jr.) Folsom 16:48
2. Tim Cannon (Jr.) Rocklin, 16:33
3. Marlon Patterson (Jr.) Franklin 16:43
16. Andrew Primrose (Jr.) NU 17:28
25. Barrett Vertrees (So.) NU 17:44
29. Parker Brown (So.) NU 17:47
40. Sean Lane (So.) NU 18:11
44. Dan Freitas (So.) NU 18:21
47. Cody Hood (So.) NU 18:27
53. Robin Carr (Sr.) NU 18:48
VARSITY GIRLS
DIVISION I
Team scoring
1. DAVIS-SR. 68; NEVADA UNION 76; 3. MODESTO 77
Individual scoring
1. Natasha LaBeaud (Sr.) Folsom 18:30
2. Caprice Bradshaw (Jr.) Fairfield 19:37
3. Erin Lewis (Jr.) Modesto 19:47
14. Hannah Harrison (So.) NU 20:45
15. Maya Bernadett (So.) NU 20:54
19. Lucie McKirdy (Jr.) NU 21:06
20. Shannon Lingo (Sr.) NU 21:09
21. Laura Rodrigues (Fr.) NU 21:10
22. Shannon Buckley (Sr.) NU 21:11
27. Karly Powell (Sr.) NU 21:26
DIVISION I
Team scoring
1. DAVIS-SR. 68; NEVADA UNION 76; 3. MODESTO 77
Individual scoring
1. Natasha LaBeaud (Sr.) Folsom 18:30
2. Caprice Bradshaw (Jr.) Fairfield 19:37
3. Erin Lewis (Jr.) Modesto 19:47
14. Hannah Harrison (So.) NU 20:45
15. Maya Bernadett (So.) NU 20:54
19. Lucie McKirdy (Jr.) NU 21:06
20. Shannon Lingo (Sr.) NU 21:09
21. Laura Rodrigues (Fr.) NU 21:10
22. Shannon Buckley (Sr.) NU 21:11
27. Karly Powell (Sr.) NU 21:26
