Feast Patriot Invitational 2007

It was tough running in San Antonio Saturday as 970 runners from 55 schools across Texas took on the challenging, international-style cross country venue at Brooks City-Base in the Patriot Invitational hosted by FEAST Home School.  Spectators flocked around the fan friendly course as the runners first shot toward each other in the meet’s traditional “T-start” and then negotiated switchbacks, long grades, hills, bridge crossings, and log and hay bale obstacles.  Mud speckled the runners’ bodies as early week rains provided both a mid course mud crossing and a slushy mud pit for the “fun” steeplechase-like hay bale jump.   Boys Race – South Region #3 Del Rio (TX 5A) and #8 state ranked Lytle (TX 3A) faced their first major test of the season.  It was a fairly tight race through the top four runners of Del Rio and FEAST Home School with Del Rio going 1, 3, and 4 and FEAST placing four in the top 10, but Del Rio’s depth claimed victory (33 to 46) placing their entire seven in the top 20.  Lytle finished third (115) in the twenty team field.  A total of 155 boys ran the tough, accurate 5000 meter course with only four under 5:30 min/mile pace and only 30 under 6:00 min/mile pace.  A lead pack of Del Rio’s top three, Palo Ponce, Chuy Ordaz, and Richard Zapata, and FEAST’s Howard Gill formed in the first mile, later joined by Christian Peter Chacon of FEAST.  Separating in the latter half of the race Gill and Ponce exchanged the lead in an exciting dual with Ponce pulling away in the final 300 meters to a four second victory.   Girls Race – The Patriot Meet offered a rare opportunity for Texas girls, as 98 girls raced the 5000 meter course.  Upcoming SPC power Dallas Episcopal, Del Rio and FEAST Home School battled for team title, with FEAST showing strength and depth placing six in the top twenty for a convincing victory (29) over Dallas Episcopal (62) and Del Rio (68).  Only seven girls were under 7:00 min/mile pace on the challenging course that is the same site (different course) as the forthcoming UTSA and Region IV Meets.  In the individual race, Alamo Heights senior Chelsea Ward-Waller and Cate Westenhover of Austin Home School Royals took the pace out hard in the first mile, but were overtaken by FEAST’s freshmen Dunn twins, Janessa and Emily, in the second mile with Janessa powering to victory in a fine 19:08 time.