Arkansas sweeps All-Star meet
Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2008
Northwest Arkansas Times photograph by Anthony Reyes The Arkansas All-Stars — including Bentonville’s Katie Dalton (front row, first from left ) and Rogers’ Courtney Efurd (front row, fourth from left ) — start the Arkansas-Oklahoma All-Star Cross Country Meet in Fayetteville. The Arkansas girls won for the first time in 14 tries.
FAYETTEVILLE — The colder the better for Courtney Efurd, the Rogers Lady Mounties senior cross country runner who joined Bentonville senior Katie Dalton at a frigid Agri Park to lead the Arkansas All-Stars past Oklahoma on Saturday.
It was the first time in the 14 years that these two states have run against each other that Arkansas’ girls prevailed.
Efurd ran third to Elkins’ Grace Heymsfield, who stormed to victory as snow spit from above. Her winning time was 18 minutes, 39 seconds.
Efurd’s time was 19: 09. Dalton placed fifth in 19: 15.
Arkansas scored 68 points to Oklahoma’s 114. The meet scored the top nine finishers. Arkansas had that many in the top 13.
The weather — 36 degrees, overcast with a wind chill below freezing — was perfect for Efurd, who ran her best time ever on the Arkansas Razorbacks’ home course.
“ I can never tell how I’m going to do, ” she said. “ But I can usually judge by the weather. I like the cold. I don’t like running in the humid. ”
She said her goal was to stay with the front group.
“ We were trying to work as a team, ” Efurd said. “ It was a lot of fun. We cheered for each other. It was really cool. Oklahoma always wins; they’ve won the past 13 of these. ”
Dalton said the northwest wind proved more of a challenge than the cold.
“ It was tough, ” she said. “ The win is very exciting for us. ”
Her team’s strategy was simple, she said.
“ We saw the white (Oklahoma ) jerseys and tried to go after them, ” Dalton said. “ That’s a winning strategy here. ”
Efurd and Dalton ran 3-4 most of the way through the 5 K race.
Other girls from Benton County who contributed to the first-ever victory were Rogers Heritage sophomore Dani David (15 th ), Bentonville senior Mackenzie Bloom (19 th ), Bentonville junior Elena Senz (27 th ) and Rogers freshman Jordan James (47 th ). Boys Arkansas 85, Oklahoma 88
Arkansas’ boys took a narrow 85-88 victory against Oklahoma, completing the sweep. It was the first time in several years that the Arkansas boys won the meet, Rogers coach Carlton Efurd said.
Bentonville freshman William Aenchbacher placed 24 th to receive a medal for his top-25 finish and the team victory.
Rogers junior Martin Resendiz was 29 th, Rogers Heritage freshman Tyler Heit was 35 th and Rogers senior Anthony Melia was 36 th.
Carlton Efurd withheld some of his better runners — Cameron Efurd, Jordan Falls and Jeremiah Fleeman — to train for the Nike South Invitational next week at The Woodlands, Texas.
Rogers will send its seventime state champion Mounties and Courtney Efurd to the meet located outside of Houston. Bentonville will also send its state champion Lady Tigers.
Arkansas had four front runners at the first mile marker.
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