Second loss...

This was the rematch with the undefeated team, and the only team to beat us in a year in a half. Last time we were missing some kids and Kees was sick... this time everyone was there and everyone was healthy.

The boys started out slowly... seemingly forgetting much of what we covered in practice... and the opponents quickly scored two goals against us. Once they settled in, though, it was a good game. Neither team had very many shots on goal, and we entered the half down 0-2.

The second half the boys were more aggressive, and mid-way thorough the half Kees scored a goal! Unfortunately we came close many more times but could'nt score the second goal to tie things up and the game ended 1-2... just like the last game!

That puts us into second place with five more games to go.

Close game!

It was a hard-fought game that ended up in a tie... which places the girls in second place in their division for now.

Another friendly game!

Our opponents cancelled on us so we had yet another friendly game with an older team... I think the other teams are afraid of us!

;-)

(Kiersten took these pictures, but at least we finally have pictures of Kees!)

First loss!

The girls suffered their first loss in two years !

The girls were up 1-0 against a very tough team when our goalie threw up the ball inside the box and kicked it outside of the box. The sideline judge, a high school player, called a penalty for "kicking outside the box". Since she threw it up while inside the box the goalie committed no error, however the ref did not understand the rule and called for a penalty kick and the opponents scored a goal. Unfortunately the same thing happened near the end of the game and the girls lost 2-1. Our poor goalie was inconsolable!

Cross Country City Championships

Having trained very little she didn't expect to do as well as she could with more training, however she felt that she could be first in school, and probably first girl not from Grant.

She got there earlier than usual, stretched and warmed up longer than usual and was very relaxed come start time.

She looked good at the first mile... settling into a rhythm as she began to work her way through the girls. She was in 30-something place and moving up.

Her race went well... starting patiently and then working through the field... although in the third picture you can see her recover from falling into a hole for the second time in just a few meters... her legs banged together and it looked like she was going to fall but she recovered and didn't lose a step!

Kiersten took it out at a quicker pace so that it was more painful for her friend Luisa to stay with her, and when Kiersten took it up a notch towards the finish Luisa could not stick with her speed and Kiersten beat her by three times as much as in previous races.

Kiersten PR'd, was the first finisher from her school, and the first non-Grant (school w/ a 4-5 mile per day running program that had all the top-10 girls) finisher in 12th place! Next year she plans to train to be competitive and shoot for top-3.

Cooling down at the finish line misters... why don't they have those at 5k's?!

Post race fun, as the girls cheer on the boys Kees hides in the tree to listen in on their gossip, LOL!

The top four girls all happen to be good friends as well... but as Kiersten said to me after the race: "sometimes friends have to go down!"

CtC Crit

Kiersten, the local cycling celeb, being interviewed pre-race and chatting with the USAC officials.

She will soon regret wearing that long-sleeved skinsuit!

Pre-start zen... Kees at his vantage point... the lead moto ready...

Racing in the women's open is a touch task for a 13-year old, but Kiersten put on a good show! It was a very technical course, with a steep, twisty climb and a steep twisty descent, so she took it out fast and by hammering the climbs and (with her superior technical descending skills) bombing the descents, spread out the field and actually led for the first quarter of the laps! The women would catch her on the flats but she'd distance them every climb and descent.

Eventually her power deficit to the stronger women showed and two girls drafting together passed her on the flats. Considering that she had a cross country race the next morning, and that she had enough gap over fourth, she didn't try to bridge to the two women and settled into third.

And she hung on to a well-earned third place!

Another game... another victory... the girls are still undefeated!

Kees watching... his game was cancelled in the morning and it was driving him crazy being a spectator!