By Kevin Cunningham
Sports Correspondent
The Whitewater High School cross country season came to a close on Oct. 29 in Wisconsin Rapids where the WIAA State Cross Country Championships took place. It was both junior Allisan Barrett and sophomore Nicole Tomomitsu’s second time competing at state and both did better than they did the first time around.
Whippets head coach Chad Carstens talked about how Barrett competed in her final race of the season.
“Allisan was as steady as she has been all season to come home in 23rd with a time of 20:05.31,” he said. “She is a very calculated and knowledgeable racer. As her coach, I always knew what product Allisan was going to be putting out there. It was exciting to see her run well at this level today.
“Allisan had a very bright season with many medals hauled home and was the No. 1 runner for the Whippets throughout the entire season. She earned first team All-RVC honors and was a great leader to her teammates.”
Barrett’s 23rd-place finish came in a field of 152 runners. Also finishing in the top third of all runners was Tomomitsu. Carstens talked about how Tomomitsu has grown since her freshman year and how she competed in her second crack at state.
“Nicole felt very positive about her race,” he said. “She started out a bit aggressive but settled in and competed hard. As a freshman she gained valuable experience and now as a sophomore it is paying off and you could see it on race day. Nicole closed out the season earning second team All-RVC honors and also running a stellar race at sectionals to earn an individual spot at state.”
Tomomitsu finished with a time of 20:30.87, just over 25 seconds behind the more experienced Barrett. The state race marks the end of the cross country season and Carstens said both of his athletes represented Whitewater with class and immense pride.
