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| Contributed photo/Dave Allen Carsyn Koch of the Washburn Beavers will be gunning for her fourth consecutive Class C state cross country championship next month. She leads a team, coached by Mike Waugh, that is also one of the favorites to win the team title. |
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
WASHBURN — The little town of Washburn made a big splash in cross country running circles last season by winning the Class C state title, and they have continued to turn heads so far in 2013.
The girls have competed in meets against solid Class B competition from throughout Eastern Maine and the results have been impressive. Washburn was second in the prestigious Ellsworth Invitational and matched that placement Sept. 7 at the Presque Isle Invitational, which included some larger schools as well.
“I think we are much deeper and much stronger one through five this year,” said Mike Waugh, who is in the midst of his fourth season as the team’s head coach and is in his 10th season overall as a cross country coach.
The team lost no one to graduation and even though junior Hannah Heald, who ran in the Beavers’ top seven a year ago, has been out all season with a hip injury, a new runner, Tori Koch, has stepped in and has been a major factor.
Of course with the Beavers, you have to begin with Carsyn Koch, who will be gunning for her fourth consecutive individual Class C state title. She is also a state champion track athlete who was part of the revival of Washburn cross country in 2009 as she joined as a freshman.
After her, the next four Washburn runners are interchangeable, according to Waugh, and “we’ll see them go back and forth all year.” That group consists of senior Carmen Bragg, junior Mackenzie Worcester, sophomore Emilia Churchill and freshman Tori Koch.
Bragg and Worcester are excellent all-around athletes who were top-10 performers at the state meet a year ago, while Churchill was 14th as a freshman and according to Waugh “has been working hard, her fitness is evident and her times will be substantially faster this year.”
As for Tori Koch, Carsyn’s younger sister, “she has already been a key addition and we’re looking to see what more she is capable of,” Waugh said.
Juniors Marianne Helton and Mikayla Churchill are currently running sixth and seventh, respectively, for the team and “will be there to give us depth that we need to compete in the big races,” according to the coach.
Six of the seven are also members of the Beaver girls’ varsity soccer team.
Others on the girls’ roster are junior Brittany Hernandez, sophomores Jessica Aube and Mariah Campbell and freshmen Kamryn Irving, Kaitlyn Maynard and Mackenzie Vaughn.
Waugh also thinks his Washburn boys have a chance to qualify for the Class C state meet. The Beavers are without their No. 1 runner from last year, Noah Caron, who opted not to run this year, but have some newcomers who have certainly made a splash.
Sophomore Derek Baker and juniors Alex Pelletier and Kenny Irving are all cross country rookies but according to Waugh “have done extraordinarily well so far.”
Baker has been the team’s fastest runner in early-season meets. “Derek has already grown a love for the sport and I’m expecting huge growth from him this season,” Waugh said.
Michael Ericson and Cameron Preston, both juniors, are returnees who have helped the new runners learn how to compete in the demanding sport. Sophomore Brandon Cropley is a hard worker, while classmate Parker Thompson is recovering from a leg injury but has shown promise. Cameron Hartford is a promising freshman.
Waugh is impressed with how far the Washburn cross country program has come in four years, and says the reason for the success is twofold.
“The key has been, and continues to be, enthusiasm. If you bring excitement to whatever you do people will want to be part of it,” he said. “The other key has been getting the kids invested. Once a kid sees how well they can do, the sky is the limit.
“Helping them see how far they can go has been crucial to building the program here.”
