Fox Islands’ “Choo Choo” Charlie Jones (North Haven, 8th grade) rumbled to his best race of the season, placing 13th out of 107 in 18:31, just missing 12th by less than half a second. Three runners finished within four seconds behind him. Likely the youngest runner in the field, our one-man team produced the ultimate when it counted most, just as he and his coach expected. But there can be a considerable difference between knowing beforehand that your best race is within you, and delivering it.
The event, held Nov. 4 at Leavitt Area High School in Turner, had been postponed one week due to the previous Saturday’s exceptionally high winds and rain. By the fifth race of this day, too, the footing was muddy and uncertain. Starting strongly, Charlie worked his way into 11th place by the first half mile. The 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) course rambles across flat athletic fields and up and down through heavy woods. “Choo Choo” settled into 13th at the one-mile point, 14th at the two. He held his own up the very steep hill in the final mile but gave up a slot to longer legs on the downhill. Then, just as he had at Regionals, he launched his sprint over the last 200 yards. Though momentarily boxed in, he smoked two competitors and pulled out a sterling effort.
Class C is comprised of high schools with up to 450 students; North Haven has 23. Western Regional runners dominated the race, taking six of the top ten spots-including repeat State Champion Tyler Clark of Lisbon High School in 16:24-and 14 of the top 20. Charlie was the eighth Western runner, where he’d been ninth at Regionals, impressive because the Regionals course had been more suited to his strengths: tougher, hillier. His time today was 1:14 faster.
Lisbon dominated the team race for the fourth consecutive year, with 54 points over Foxcroft Academy, 105, and Orono High School, 138. There were 13 schools represented by complete five-man teams.
Charlie’s success comes from a combination of his parents’ athletic genes, a very supportive family environment, the example of a mother and two older sisters who run (Kelsey having placed 2nd in now-defunct Class D as a senior), solid coaching from his father and his coach, successful age-group racing in both cross country and track over three years prior to this fall’s high school season-his first-, and a very serious, steady, and exceptional work ethic. In the absence of other runners on his team due to injury and lack of enthusiasm for a demanding sport, he has had to be largely self-motivated and focused. That’s what’s most impressive. He has earned his success the hard way.
A second outstanding performance at the Championships was turned in by North Haven summer resident, sophomore Kelsey Nichols of Freeport High School, also the Class C girls’ team winner for the fourth consecutive year. Their second runner, she placed 6th out of 74 runners, in 21:12, starting fast, holding it together, and blasting in at the finish. Freeport edged Mattanawcook Academy, 45-64, with Waynflete following with 79 points. There were eight schools with complete teams.
The weather was cool, the day most satisfying.
— Herb Parsons, coach