PORTLAND, OREGON, December 03 — Irene Riggs came to Nike Cross Nationals an overwhelming favorite and ran like it, taking the lead immediately and only seeing her competition after the finish. The senior from Morgantown, West Virginia, had finished 8th in last year’s Eastbay Championships, but put together an undefeated season this fall, highlighted by a 16:02.1 at the Nike Southeast Regional, a mark that sliced more than 20 seconds off a Katelyn Tuohy course record.
On a sunny day at Glendoveer Country Club, the winds came cold and fast but that didn’t keep Riggs from rocketing the first mile in 5:10.0. Coloradans Brooke Wilson (Valor Christian, Highlands Ranch) and Bethany Michalak (Air Academy) led the rest through in 5:15.8. The Stanford-bound Riggs stretched her margin even more on the second mile, passing the 2M post in 10:36.7. At that point, Abbey Nechanicky (Wayzata, Plymouth, Minnesota) ran 2nd alongside Michalak in 10:52.6, with Wilson a hair back.
Over the final mile, Wilson took over the chase and pulled a bit closer to Riggs, but there was no challenging the winner, who crossed in an impressive 16:40.9. It was the No. 2 time ever on the course, after only the 16:37.8 Tuohy ran as a junior. Wake Forest recruit Wilson, making a move before the final hill, came next in 16:54.6, with Michalak at 16:55.4 and Nechanicky 4th in 16:59.2.
“That’s kind of how I’ve been taking my races throughout the season, just go out hard and try to run my race,” said victor Riggs. “That was my strategy today.”
The team race went to New York’s Saratoga Springs, running under the Kinetic Running Club banner. It was the third title for the team, following up wins in 2004 and ’19. With 4 in the top 20, the team scored 81 points to handily top Colorado’s Niwot by 28 points. Niwot was led by one Addy Ritzenhein, the top frosh overall at 17:38.4 in 18th. Clovis (California) finished 3rd with 116 points.
NXN GIRLS RESULTS
Teams
1. Kinetic 81; 2. Niwot 109; 3. Clovis 116; 4. Lone Peak 120; 5. Mount Prospect 189; 6. Flower Mound 196; 7. Academy 213; 8. Waxhaw 247; 9. Wayzata 254; 10. Elmhurst 278;
11. Carroll 284; 12. Portland 323; 13. Moraga 324; 14. Lucas 367; 15. Wexford 377; 16. Olathe 418; 17. Delmar 421; 18. Central Oregon 423; 19. Los Altos 433; 20. Knoxville 452; 21. San Juan Capistrano 465; 22. Union County 542.
Individuals
(5K): 1. Irene Riggs (SE3) 16:40.9; 2. Brooke Wilson (SW5) 16:54.6; 3. *Bethany Michalak (Academy) 16:55.4; 4. Abbey Nechanicky (Wayzata) 16:59.2; 5. Grace Schager (MW5) 17:16.8; 6. *Isabel Conde De Frankenberg (South2) 17:17.5; 7. Sophia Kennedy (MW3) 17:18.4; 8. Tatum David (MW1) 17:22.4; 9. *Anna Callahan (NW1) 17:23.7; 10. Paityn Noe (Heartl4) 17:25.9;
11. *Samantha Humphries (Flower Mound) 17:27.9; 12. *Andie Aagard (Lone Peak) 17:29.5; 13. *Nicole Humphries (Flower Mound) 17:31.6; 14. *Isabel Allori (SW1) 17:33.2; 15. *Avalon Mecham (SW3) 17:35.1; 16. **Hanne Thomsen (Cal4) 17:35.2; 17. Emma Stutzman (SW4) 17:35.2; 18. ***Addy Ritzenhein (Niwot) 17:38.4; 19. **Izzie Sullivan (NYork5) 17:39.1; 20. **Norah Hushagen (Heartl3) 17:41.3;
21. **Sydney Drevlow (Heartl2) 17:41.5; 22. Ali Bainbridge (Heartl1) 17:44.0; 23. *Liesel Kehoe (South3) 17:44.2; 24. *Nelah Roberts (NW3) 17:45.1; 25. **Ella Hagen (SW2) 17:50.4; 26. Ellie Buckley (Moraga) 17:50.7; 27. **Emily Wisniewski (NW5) 17:50.7; 28. Lily Cridge (MW2) 17:51.1; 29. Grace Hutchison (Clovis) 17:51.6; 30. *Emily Bush (Kinetic) 17:52. (195 finished)
11. *Samantha Humphries (Flower Mound) 17:27.9; 12. *Andie Aagard (Lone Peak) 17:29.5; 13. *Nicole Humphries (Flower Mound) 17:31.6; 14. *Isabel Allori (SW1) 17:33.2; 15. *Avalon Mecham (SW3) 17:35.1; 16. **Hanne Thomsen (Cal4) 17:35.2; 17. Emma Stutzman (SW4) 17:35.2; 18. ***Addy Ritzenhein (Niwot) 17:38.4; 19. **Izzie Sullivan (NYork5) 17:39.1; 20. **Norah Hushagen (Heartl3) 17:41.3;
21. **Sydney Drevlow (Heartl2) 17:41.5; 22. Ali Bainbridge (Heartl1) 17:44.0; 23. *Liesel Kehoe (South3) 17:44.2; 24. *Nelah Roberts (NW3) 17:45.1; 25. **Ella Hagen (SW2) 17:50.4; 26. Ellie Buckley (Moraga) 17:50.7; 27. **Emily Wisniewski (NW5) 17:50.7; 28. Lily Cridge (MW2) 17:51.1; 29. Grace Hutchison (Clovis) 17:51.6; 30. *Emily Bush (Kinetic) 17:52.
31. *Stella Kermes (Waxhaw) 17:55.2; 32. **Alex Fox (Flower Mound) 17:55.5; 33. McKinley Wheeler (Kinetic) 17:57.3; 34. **Lillie Bogdan (NYork1) 17:57.3; 35. **Boston Bybee (Lone Peak) 17:57.9; 36. **Hannah Rae Shaffer (SE5) 17:58.0; 37. Jo Jo Quarzo (NE3) 17:59.7; 38. *Logan Hofstee (NW2) 18:01.7; 39. **Tessa Walter (Academy) 18:02.5; 40. Alli Crytser (SE1) 18:02.7. (195 finished) ◻︎