Healdsburg’s cross country team, spearheaded by the Anderson siblings, Kaeden and Sierra, put up increasingly fast times over the last couple of weeks at their home course at Hoot Owl Vineyard in Alexander Valley.
Kaeden Anderson, well-recovered from an early season ankle injury, sprinted to a new course record on Oct. 19, narrowly besting his own previous record by 1.3 seconds with a 17.35 time. Just a week earlier the junior ran a full minute slower at 18.34, still winning the boys field over Cardinal Newman but slowed by the 90-plus degree weather.
The improved conditions accounted for several faster times at the Oct. 19 dual, though not across the board. Second-place finisher for the boys in both races was sophomore Jack McWilliams, who ran a 19.06 during the 96-degree Cardinal Newman meet, but only mustered a 19.18 a week later against Rancho Cotate in much cooler temperatures.
Freshman Lucas Brennan’s 19:56 time on Oct. 11 was not only faster than his 21:38 against Cardinal Newman, but he took over from senior Jack Wilmore for the third-fastest Greyhound in the boys race, finishing in fourth place while Wilmore (20.17) finished fifth.
Top Healdsburg girls finisher in both meets was junior Sierra Anderson. She finished second to Cardinal Newman’s Gwen Brockett (22.49) on Oct. 4, and to Rancho’s Deisey Garcia (24.40) on Oct. 11. But Anderson improved her time by over a minute, from 26.14 to 25.20 a week later, and a dramatic home stretch sprint put her in second place ahead of Rancho Cotate’s Kate Carter (25.19).
The temperature difference provided a big boost for young Greyhound girls runners, with both Fia Huebel and Molly Powell shaving more than seven minutes off their time a week earlier.
On Wednesday of this week, the Galloping Greyhounds held their last home meet against Ukiah (results too late for press time). An invitational meet in Ukiah is slated for Saturday, Oct. 21, and a final dual against Analy ends the regular season on Oct. 25 in Sebastopol.
