WAYDE HALL
Stillwater, cross-country
Some runners loathe rankings, preferring to remain low-key, with little fanfare and low expectations.
Not Hall. The senior entered the season as the No. 1-ranked runner in Class 2A, heading up a Stillwater team that also was ranked No. 1.
Just the way he wants it.
"I liked being ranked No. 1," Hall said. "Especially being a part of the No. 1 team. It helps to motivate me. I want to live up to it. I don't want something like that to pass by."
Hall and the Ponies lived up to their advance billing at Saturday's Milaca Mega Meet. He won the Class 4A Division race, covering the 5K route at Milaca's Stones Throw Golf Course in a time of 15 minutes, 25.3 seconds. Four teammates finished in the top 15, giving Stillwater a convincing team victory.
"I just wanted to get after it right away," Hall said. "It's a good course to run fast. And there's not a lot of races -- maybe one a week -- so you want to make the most of the opportunities you have."
Hall admitted there was one significant distraction to potentially mar an otherwise perfect day.
"We raced at midday, around 12:45," he said. "There was a lot of food around. One of the hardest parts was holding off on the food until after the race."
