By Amanda Perkins & Chris Parker
Hollister senior Sinry Mendoza capped off his debut cross country season with a time of 15:25.1 to win the Class 3 state championship at Gans Creek XC Course in Columbia.
He was aiming to go a little faster overall but saw his race plan alter.
“We switched it up a little,” Mendoza said. “I usually go out fast. Nerves and butterflies get you and make you run that first mile faster than your other ones. Our goal was to run differently. We were trying to keep calm before the storm and go out decently. I am pretty sure I was at a 3:01 or 3-flat for that first (kilometer) and that is kind of what we were going for on each one. At the end of the day, it kind of changed we just started going for the win.”
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Mendoza came through the first kilometer in sixth place at 3:01.2. That was the only kilometer he would trail. By the second kilometer he had a slight lead by a tenth of a second over Springfield Catholic’s Kyle Hathcock. He had a similar advantage over Summit Christian’s Leo Butler at the third kilometer.
By the fourth kilometer, Mendoza opened a four-second advantage before closing the race down with is fastest kilometer of the race at 2:57.2 to win by 12 seconds.
“It was a blessing,” Mendoza said. “It (the finish) hurt a little bit because I thought I was going to end up running a faster time. That is what I was going for like I said, but plans changed around the middle of the race. It is a blessing to come out with a victory at the end of the day.”
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Mendoza took many lessons from his first cross country season under a new coaching staff, but the biggest one might be the importance of rest.
“A really good lesson is that sometimes it is good to take things easily for your body and mind too,” Mendoza said. “There are some points in the season I wanted to keep on going and (my coaches) pulled the (reins) back because they know I am hard worker and they didn’t want any injuries (for me).”
As for what’s ahead, it is likely to put track front and center over national cross country meets.
“I might be done (with the cross country season) and take a break (to) reset the mind and reset the body and just get in the right mindset for track and field,” Mendoza said. “There isn’t a day where I don’t think about running and track and field and being one of those few high schoolers that break the sub 4 (minute) mark (in the mile). I never stop thinking about that. That is goal for me.”
Springfield Catholic’s Kyle Hathcock finished fourth with a time of 15:47.2. Teammate Marcus Johnson also finished in the top 30 at 29th with a time of 16:54.1. The Irish placed fifth as a team after tying for fourth place and losing the tiebreaker.
Ava’s Isaac Smith (14th – 16:31.5), Clever’s Braeden Casey (18th – 16:47.8), Warsaw’s Wesley Jackson (23rd – 16:50.9) and Fair Grove’s Cinch Dowling (30th – 16:55.2) also earned medals.
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Fair Grove took 10th and Strafford 13th in the team competition.
In the girls’ race, Fair Grove’s Katrina Cantwell came in with a simple plan.
“Just run my hardest and do better than I did last year,” Cantwell said.
Mission accomplished. Cantwell was ninth last year and seventh as a freshman. On Friday, she ran a 19:05.1 to place fifth and lead the area’s finishers. Teammate Keira Marion-Swan placed 15th (20:06.8). That duo led Fair Grove to a 12th place finish as a team just behind Springfield Catholic in 11th place.
Right behind her was Houston freshman Lyla Huffman in sixth place with a time of 19:36.5 followed by Springfield Catholic’s Emma Belk in seventh with a time of 19:46.3.
Aurora’s Avery Miller (19th – 20:14.4) and Clever’s Kaydence Butts (26th – 20:32.4) also earned medals in the class.
Houston placed 15th in the team competition.
