Rebels’ Sweeney takes 2nd at Jesse Owens
OAKVILLE — Saturday’s gold division boys race at the Jesse Owens Classic was not expected to be a two-man battle. But that’s what it became.
Facing a talented field comprised of both in-state and out-of-state competition, Homewood’s Will Stone and Vestavia Hills’ James Sweeney showed why they’re the class of cross-country in 2017.
Stone, a junior, and Sweeney, a senior, dropped their final pursuer around the 2-mile mark at Oakville Indian Mounds Park. The friendly rivals dueled throughout the final third of the 5K race until Stone pulled away in the closing 200 meters. His furious kick to the finish sealed a signature victory in 15 minutes, 22 seconds, three ticks ahead of Sweeney’s 15:25.
Both times were personal bests.
“I knew we were coming up on the 0.1 [mile] turn, and I just thought, ‘If I have nothing left and I lose, then all credit to James,’” Stone said after the 3.1-mile race. “But if I lost and I had something left, I would hate myself for it. I just put it in one last gear with a little bit over 0.1 left.”
Until that final stretch, Stone and Sweeney ran within arm’s length throughout the duration of the race.
The two matched each other stride for stride as they led a sizeable pack through the first mile in 4:52. At that point, Centennial’s (Tenn.) Davis Bove, Maryville’s (Tenn.) Seth Bowden, Dalton’s (Ga.) Adan Rodriguez and Thompson’s Brandon DeMarcus Lee were still in the mix.
But the group didn’t stay compact for long.
Stone, Sweeney and Bove opened a gap within the next half-mile as the race began to string out. The trio clustered together until confronting a series of switchback hills near the 2-mile mark, which they passed in 9:57.
Then, Alabama’s top two runners created definitive separation.
“After that, I knew we had it,” Sweeney said. “You can stop hearing footsteps after a while, and you know it’s just you two.”
They had been in this position before.
One month ago, Stone and Sweeney dueled on the same course at the Chickasaw Trails Invitational, which Stone won by a four-second margin. He ran 15:36 to Sweeney’s 15:40 thanks to a strong final quarter-mile.
Memories of that race rushed through Sweeney’s mind as he took the lead on Saturday with about a half-mile to go.
“Knowing that he had beat me at Chickasaw, I just wanted to go out that last mile and just try a little bit of a different strategy,” Sweeney said. “I felt like I had tried to hold on too long last time, and he pulled away.”
But Stone, the reigning Gatorade Alabama Runner of the Year, answered Sweeney’s surge. He made up the narrow deficit as they prepared to round the final turn.
Then, he throttled down.
Stone, eyes fixed on the finish line, dashed down the spectator-lined straightaway at full speed. The daunting kick kept his season record at in-state meets as pristine as the knee-high, white calf sleeves he sported on Saturday.
In addition to his two triumphs in Oakville, Stone also won the Spain Park Cross Country Classic Sept. 16.
“It was a great race,” Stone said. “I love running with James. He’s a good friend, and I appreciate his competition.”
Bove finished third in 15:47, and Bowden finished fourth in 15:48. In total, six runners broke 16 minutes on an uncharacteristically warm day. It was nearly 80 degrees — and windy — when the gun sounded at 10:55.
Pope High (Ga.) won the team title with 155 points. Led by Sweeney, Vestavia Hills (323) emerged as the top local team with a seventh-place finish. Homewood (335) trailed closely behind to take eighth.
“We’re still putting the pieces together,” Rebels head coach Brett Huber said. “We had objectives today; we were looking to see how things fleshed out, and it’s been good. It’s been a good day.”
In the girls gold race, Homewood sophomore Celie Jackson placed 13th in a personal-best 19:03, while Vestavia Hills senior Sasha Allison took 28th in 19:31. The Patriots finished 11th with 334 points; the Rebels finished 13th with 368.
Both the Homewood and Vestavia Hills cross-country teams will return to action Oct. 19 at the Hoover Invitational.