Not too bad for a freshman season.
Freshman duo runners Brooke Kovacic and Ashley Burr tested the challenging course at the State Championships on Nov. 7, which was held at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI.
If you were to ask Coach Sutherland, he would say they passed with flying colors.
Kovacic paced her way to a 19th place finish on a day when a strong wind tried to cause trouble for the runners. She finished with a time of 18:59.2, which broke her own record and earned her All-State honors and a medal.
Burr finished with a time of 21:04, which placed her 167th.
‘I was real, real happy with their effort. For freshmen to go to state and compete as hard as they did was a really good job,? said Sutherland.
The course was challenging because of the wind. The runners began in the infield for the first third of a mile. They then left he track area and went into the woods behind the track.
After trekking through the woods, they ran the last three-quarters of the race around the outside of the track, finishing in the middle of the grandstand area.
According to Sutherland, the last half mile was tough because the runners were running into a strong head wind.
‘We’re very, very pleased with the season and how it went,? said Sutherland.