Barnes makes the cut

COURT WILLS / News Virginian
Published: November 1, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - It was just a piece of paper that happened to be green with the number 12 on it.
Wilson Memorial's Michael Barnes was going to the Group A State Meet.
"It felt really good crossing that finish line, but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to go to states because I thought I got 16th," said Barnes. "You're always afraid somebody is going to fly by you and get in there."
As soon as Madison County's Kenny Lohr bolted from behind Barnes to the finish line, the Green Hornet junior couldn't help but think his chances of placing for states were slim.. 
"That last person, I just didn't see him coming. That was a really good finish for him," Barnes said.
Clarke County's Chris York won the Region B race and his team placed first with 31 points after the 5K at Panorama Farms on Wednesday.
When Wilson Memorial boys coach Steve Geiman presented Barnes with his state ticket, all he could was breathe a sigh of relief. At last year's Region B Meet Barnes finished in 30th place.
"I think I ran a good race, my goal was to make the top 15," Barnes said. "I wanted to get in front of Clarke County but when that didn't happen I had to make sure that I kept them in my sights. It was really hard to keep them close."
Compared to the other runners, Barnes said he didn't have a problem with the hilly course. The picturesque and wide-open course reminded him a lot of his own course, especially since runners go uphill to reach the finish line at Wilson Memorial.
"This course is just a little bit harder than mine," Barnes said. "The first mile is pretty rough but after the big hill on the two-mile, it's not so bad."
The Shenandoah District champions, Buffalo Gap, did not fare so well. The Bison finished just two places shy of the cutoff for the Group A Meet. The Bison earned sixth-place overall with 197 points.
"They just weren't good enough," said Bison coach Mike Harmon. "It's good competition out here. It's just hard to get past the loss of your top two runners [Sean Henke, Craig Homer]. An early end to the season is always a disappointment; coaching is in my blood."
With three of the top four finishers from Clarke County, it took awhile to see any Bison coming over the horizon. Several clusters of runners passed before Nick Corbin charged in for 38th place. Two runners later, Ryan Pyles made his mark.
"We did not do our best," Pyles said. "We had a good start, but then we just kind of faded."
Nelson County's boys squad earned another trip to the state meet with the Governors finishing in second place. Under Nelson County coach Lindsey Nash Hill, this is the Governors third straight year of qualifying for the state meet in her three years of coaching both the girls and boys teams.
"They did really well," said Nash Hill. "It was exciting to see that we broke [Clarke County] up."
Austin Griffin finished in fifth place with a time of 17:41 and two seconds later Joshua Morris came in sixth place.
In the girls race, it was a family affair for the Nunez sisters, Noelia and Sophia, who participated in their first Region B state meet together.
Neither finished in the top-15, but both were happy to be in Wednesday's race. Like many other runners, both sisters had a tough time fighting through the hills.
"I'm not a hill person," Noelia Nunez said. "Sophia just kept telling me to keep praying. She's always been my support."
With a little praying, both the twin sisters got through. Noelia finished 43rd while Sophia finished in 77th. Teammates Rebecca Grubb took 40th place, Rachel Coffin 73, Devon Thompson 80, Sydney Smith 83 and Jennifer Janosky 86.
"The best feeling is when you cross that finish line and you didn't quit," said Sophia Nunez.
George Mason's Susanna Sullivan won the race with a time of 18:57. Clarke County took the top team prize with a total of 40 points.
For Luray's Jenny Logan, it was another top finish as the senior charged for the No. 4 spot. Last year, Logan had finished fifth.
"The girl that had passed me, I made sure to keep in my sights, but I knew when we passed over the second mile hill, that I would get some flat ground," Logan said.
That's when Logan made her move and got her fourth place prize.
"I kept telling myself that I didn't want to finish in the same place as last year," Logan said. "It had rained Thursday and Friday in Luray and on Thursday I didn't really do anything but I knew on Friday that I had to go out running. So that's when I put on my wet proof suit and went out and made sure that I ran. With a day like today, I knew I had worked hard and that I deserved it."
Wilson Memorial's Rachel Boxley also improved her place at the Region B tournament as she jumped 25 places to finish in 35th for the Green Hornets
"It was really competitive today because you have girls with the same times as you do competing for the top spot," Boxley said. "I ran the first mile fast, but then I didn't have enough for the last two. It definitely wasn't my day."