On Nov. 24, I and several area students participated in the regionals down in Van Cortland Park, Bronx, New York. People were split up by age into groups to race. Children ages ten and under were called Bantams; ages 11-12 were called Midgets. They all ran a 3 K race. Ages 13-14 were called Youths and ran a 4K. Fifteen to sixteen year-olds were Intermediates and 17-18 year-olds were young men or young women. These students ran a 5K.

The trip was long but well worth it. The bus left Augusta at 5:30 am and arrived at Van Cortland Park at 2 pm We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel across from the biggest mall any of us had ever seen. We left at 9:30 the next morning for the park. The first to run were the Bantams. Boys ran first for all of the races.

The course was flat for the first mile and then there were hills for the next two miles, The last 600 meters was a flat straightaway to the finish. The was for the 5K. All races started out on a flat and finished on the straightaway with the hills in between.

Out of the forty or so bussed down, about half qualified for the Nationals in Alburquerque, New Mexico.

Monmouth sent two to these Regionals. Becca Irwin ran in the Youth’s race with a time of 18:03, She was 76 out of 114. Heidi Bonderud ran the Young Woman’s race with a time of 23:03 and came in 25th out of 29 girls. If you would like to find out the times for others from Maine, go to www.meusalf.org.