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HIGH SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY: Junior class worth watching
BY MATT DIFILIPPO, Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 08/29/2008

By MATT DiFILIPPO
Staff Writer

AUGUSTA — Cross country runners can get whatever they want out of today’s Laliberte Invitational, which begins at 4 p.m. at Cony High School.
Maybe they want to see how they match up against other runners. Maybe they want to see how much they’ve gained from their offseason training. Or maybe they’re new and just want to run their first race.
Whatever its purpose for the students, the race is a unique one. Created by former Cony coach Tom Wells in honor of Cony runner Scot Laliberte, who was killed in a car accident in 2000, the race combines the boys and girls team scores into one school score.
“A lot of cross country is individual,” Cony coach Shawn Totman said. “You don’t get a lot of meets where it’s team-oriented. To do well in this meet, your team has to do well, both girls and guys.”
After 16 teams competed last year, Totman expects between 20 and 23 schools this year for a total of some 500 runners. There will be a junior varsity race as well, and the top 10 JV finishers for boys and girls will receive awards.
Many talented teams have committed to compete, including Brunswick, Lewiston, Lisbon and Mt. Blue. Other schools making the short drive to Augusta include Gardiner, Maranacook, Messalonskee and Winthrop.
“We’re kind of looking at it as a practice race,” Maranacook coach Rosalea Kimball said. “We have a lot of new runners this year. It’s really quick to be running a three-mile race if you haven’t been training all summer.”
It’s also natural to look at where you finish in the race and compare yourself to some of the best teams, although Mt. Blue coach Kelley Cullenberg said those comparisons aren’t always accurate later in the season.
“We don’t get all crazy about, ‘We placed third,’ and think that’s going to really dictate the rest of the season,” Cullenberg said. “I don’t think it’s an end-all.”
One thing worth watching in today’s varsity race is the boys junior class. Six of those runners placed in the top 10 at the Class A state meet last year, including Brunswick’s Will Geoghegan, Mt. Blue’s Kelton Cullenberg and Cony’s Luke Fontaine — all three of whom will be part of today’s race.
Coach Cullenberg said the junior class “is just amazing.”
“This junior class of runners is incredibly deep, statewide,” Totman said. “I honestly think that this could be one of the most competitive boys races we’ve ever had at the Laliberte.”
The course is located behind Cony High School, and Fontaine’s advice would be to give up any hopes of flat land.
“The Cony course is very challenging,” Fontaine said. “I remember last year, the first time I ran on it, at the Laliberte, it was tough. There’s quite a number of hills, and it’s all up and down.”

Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243
mdifilippo@centralmaine.com

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