By Alex Frazier
Two Suburban One girls proved they were the best in the state last Saturday.Pennsbury’s Sara Sargent completed an incredible novice season, capped off by a state title, while C. B. East junior Katie Kinkead turned in her best performance of the year, finishing second to Sargent.
“Unbelievable” was all Sargent could think as she crossed the finish line all alone in Hershey last Saturday.
“When I crossed the finish line, I couldn’t believe I had won,” she said. “Triple A always has good competition in it, so I was prepared for whatever came at me.”
Sargent didn’t even realize that her time of 18:35 broke the meet record by 12 seconds until her grandparents told her.
“I had no idea,” she said.
Sargent led the race wire to wire. Her plan was much the same as at districts—stay at the head of the pack in the first mile and then take it out, and be prepared to sprint the last 200 meters.
Kinkead was the only runner that had a chance to catch Sargent.
“There was one part of the race we went down a hill and I made a good amount of ground on her,” said Kinkead, “and I was thinking to myself, ‘There might be a chance I can get her,’ and I gave it everything I had, but she pulled away the last 800.”
The Pennsbury freshman was just too fast.
“I felt comfortable,” said Sargent. “I knew just from pedestrians cheering at the end along the sidelines. They were telling me how far back she was. At one point it was three seconds. I was aware of where she was, but I was confident of my abilities.”
It was Sargent’s second race on the Hershey course, which was good for two reasons. One, she knew the course.
“I really don’t like it when I go on a course not knowing where I’m going,” she said.
And two, the first time she ran there on Sept. 26 in the Foundation Invitational she finished sixth. It was the only race of the year she didn’t win.
“Everyone has their bad races and that one was mine,” she said. “I was just a little off. I just had to shake it off. I knew a bad race was going to come at least once in a season.”
Her time that day was 19:48, a whole minute and 14 seconds slower than she ran at states.
“It made me work harder for the rest of the season to make up for that race,” she said.
Sargent’s season isn’t quite over yet. She plans to run in the Foot Locker Regional Cross Country Championships on Nov. 28 at Sunken Meadow in New York.
Sargent won’t be allowed to compete in her Pennsbury uniform, but you can be sure she will still be wearing Pennsbury orange and black.
If she places in the top 10 there, she will qualify for the National Championship in San Diego, CA.
Sargent is no stranger to running on big stages. She has competed at the national level in both AAU track and cross country, so it won’t be so intimidating.
“I’ve experienced it before so I know what it’s like,” she said. “I really want to make it to nationals.”
•••
Last year, Kinkead didn’t make it out of districts.
She’s come a long way.
In this year’s SOL league meet she finished second to North Penn’s Meghan McGovern, whom she had beaten in the dual meet.
The following week at districts she had to settle for a third place behind Sargent and McGovern.
But at the state meet, she easily outdistanced McGovern, who finished eighth, by 26 seconds.
“My plan the whole season was to keep improving,” said Kinkead.
Her second place finish at states ties her with Carl Dusen (2000) for the highest finish ever by a C.B. East runner in the state meet. She beat the previous female record held by Kate Ross.
“Afterwards it was a really cool feeling,” said Kinkead. “It’s weird thinking I’m going to go down in East history.”
Her improvement began after cross country last year during winter and spring track. In the spring she finished seventh in the two-mile at the state meet.
“After doing well at states, I had a feeling I could do pretty well at cross country,” she said.
With that in mind, she set out to do all the right things to prepare for the season.
“I focused on the right things, really working hard on the days I need to and taking it easier and resting up when I need to, getting a good amount of sleep, good nutrition and I have really good coaching,” she said.
Last spring, C.B. East coach Matt Catinella trained her to run with a heart rate monitor, which Kinkead said keeps her running at the right pace.
“I know how fast I’m going and that’s helped a lot,” she said.
Catinella said she is one of the most dedicated runners he’s ever had.
“Her training was on point all season,” he said. “She’s definitely a competent individual. She journals. She keeps track of all her workouts. She’s one of the most driven individuals I’ve ever met, especially at the high school level.”
While Sargent proved too much, Kinkead had a chance to avenge another loss.
Last spring at state track, Cumberland Valley’s Leigha Anderson had beaten her in the two-mile.
The two met again last Saturday.
“The goal was to be in the top 10-15 at the mile,” said Kinkead of her race strategy. “I didn’t want to go out too hard. I wanted to save as much energy as I could and work the hills on the last part of the race.”
With about a mile and a half to go, she started working her way up.
On a downhill, she caught up to Anderson, who was in second place.
“I was feeling really good and I surged up a little and she didn’t go with me,” said Kinkead. “I remember seeing the two-mile and that’s where I started pulling away from her. After that it was maybe I could get Sara Sargent.”
Sargent and Kinkead are likely to butt heads again during the indoor and outdoor track seasons.
“Hopefully I’ll get her in track,” said Kinkead.
The East junior is opting out of Foot Locker this year, but plans to do it next year.
“I was dealing with some minor injuries all season, and I’ve been training through and it’s been OK, but I want to get that healed so I can have a good indoor season,” Kinkead said.
NOTE: Kinkead’s teammate Jenny Guidera was the only other SOL runner to receive a medal. After falling at the beginning of the race, she finished 22nd in a time of 19:39.
“She was able to get back up and run, which I think is really good because it’s hard with all those people,” said Kinkead. “Her goal was to medal.”
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