Natalie Smith emerged from the woods at Springfield Oaks on Saturday afternoon and kept her pace finishing the last mile.
She ran up the muddy hill and headed towards the finish line to take second at the 43rd Holly Cross Country Invitational, with a time 20:08.
Hudsonville’s Alex Berends finished in first place at 19:39.
The Lady Wolves varsity team took fourth in the Division 1 race with 111 points. Also finishing for Clarkston were Andrea Butler, in 18th at 21:19; Erin Billette, 25th at 21:26; Kaitlin Catania, 26th at 21:27; Colleen Napier, 40th at 22:04; Kylie Knavish, 41st at 22:10; and Jill Harris, 50th at 22:44.
Adam Bruderick led the boys varsity team and finished 12th at 17:08. The boys team finished 11th with 300 points.
Nick Moore was second for the Wolves, finishing in 47th, 18:18; followed by Jake Brokenshaw,19:02; Jeremy Kelley, 19:16; and Nathan Ross, 19:43.
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Both teams competed in their first OAA Red Jamboree on Sept. 14 at Bloomer Park.
The Lady Wolves finished in second place after scoring 56 points. Troy took the first spot, scoring 51. Smith led the Lady Wolves at third place, 19:33. Butler took tenth, 20:24.
The boys finished in third place in their first OAA Jamboree. Lake Orion finished first with 43 points, Birmingham Seaholm, 50 points and Clarkston scored 78 points.
Bruderick led the runners and finished in fifth, 16:59. Sam Tanielian also finished in the top ten, at eighth place, 17:08.
Both compete in their second OAA Jamboree next Tuesday at Stoney Creek.