Scintillating stretch run
Catholic’s Taylor nudges 2012 champ; Rogers top team
HOT SPRINGS - Brendan Taylor’s finishing kick was not only enough to outlast defending champion Jacob Shiohira, but it was also good enough to land the Catholic High senior into the record book.
Ta y lor shattered the course record at Oakl awn Pa rk on Saturday, running the 5,000-meter race in 15:14.7. The previous mark (15:30.1) was set by Aaron Hamilton of Rogers in 2007.
“I didn’t really care about the time today, I just wanted to race someone who was good,” Taylor said. “It was nice to have someone that could compete. It was a fun race.”
Taylor and Shiohira, a junior from Bentonville, were shoulder-to-shoulder for the majority of the race. It wasn’t until the final 200 yards that Taylor was able to pull ahead.
“We would surge, then we would back off,” Taylor said. “We would surge and back off again. It was that way the whole race.”
Shiohira also bettered Hamilton’s mark on Saturday, finishing with a 15:18.0, which was 19 seconds better than the time Shiohira posted in winning the 2012 Class 7A meet.
“I knew it was going to be a battle,” Shiohira said. “But I didn’t know it was going to be the battle it was. With 500 yards to go we had been back and forth, back and forth and back and forth. I honestly didn’t know who was going to take it. But with about 150 meters to go and we went up that final hill, he started pulling away and my legs felt flat. He had a really good race and he deserved to win.”
Taylor and Shiohira put on a show for individual honors, but Rogers won the team title when Christian Liddell, Iam Smith and Austin Salazar ran in the next three places for the Mounties.
Rogers finished with 32 points; runner-up Bentonville had 58. Zachary Rail, a junior from Vilonia, won the Class 5A meet with a time of 16:14.9.
“I don’t like to speculate about races, I just like to go out and run,” Rail said. “The weather was great, and I was feeling great. It was a beautiful race.”
Harrison senior Elijah Reading finished second to Rail with a time of 16:57.9, and the Goblins earned the team title with a score of 33 while Vilonia was the runner-up with 69.
Mountain Home junior Lane Alexander survived a strong effort by Lake Hamilton’s Bror Thirion to win the Class 6A title.
“I’m not complaining. I’ve raced against these guys for the last three years and they’ve always been pushing me,” said Alexander, who won with a time of 16:29.2. “Actually, I glad they helped me out today.”
Thirion, a senior, was timed in 16:34.1.
Lake Hamilton won the team title with 39 points while runner-up Russellville had 45. In other races on Saturday: Cody Fox, a senior from DeWitt, won the Class 4A title by running the course in 16:14.8. Maumelle claimed the team title with a score of 42 points. Runner-up Heber Springs finished with 45.
Tyler Webb, a junior from Melbourne, won the Class 3A race in 16:59.8. Elkins won the team title with 52 points. Runner-up Greenland came in with 64 points.
Nathan Andress, a junior from Eureka Springs, was fastest (17:16.1) in the 2A/1A meet. He helped the Highlanders take home the team title with 37 points. Runner-up Caddo Hills compiled 60 points.