Racing To The Finish At Nike XC Town Twilight Invitational
* Cameron Todd reflects on his victory at the Nike XC Town Twilight Invitational
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The boys championship division at Nike XC Town Twilight Invitational was a race to the finish as five boys went sub-15 minutes for 5K and they were within 11 seconds of one another.
"I know it's early on in the year, but I could not look forward to this race anymore," Cameron Todd told MileSplit. "For the entire week, it's been on my mind."
The LaVern Gibson Championship Course started downhill and Todd allowed his fellow competitors to go out in front and pace. It wasn't until the 4K mark that Todd felt that he had a chance to grab the title.
He timed his kick at just the right moment to pass Sam Quagliaroli.
Todd finished strong and clocked 14:48. Quagliaroli was four seconds back and was the second boy to cross the finish line in 14:52. Meanwhile, Dylan Maloney was third in 14:57 and was able to score a 190 speed rating.
* Zariel Macchia breaks down the highlights from the 5K race at Nike XC Town Twilight Invitational
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Similar to the boys race, the top girl finishers were within striking distance of one another.
Zariel Macchia faced an absolutely loaded field this weekend.
"The girls got out quick," Macchia said. "I don't usually race people from around here so it was fun to run with new people."
The turning point for Macchia was in the final mile where she made a surge to separate herself from the pack of six.
"I felt like I was able to break away a bit," Macchia said. "At that point, I was pretty confident that I could get the win, but the girls were still right there, so I wasn't sure until the end."
While being able to take down a stacked field, Macchia finished the 5K race in 17:01 and earned a 152 speed rating. While being separated by three tenths of a second, Nicki Southerland and freshman Isabella Keller finished in 17:06.
There were 12 girls who dipped under 18 minutes for 5K at this meet.
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