Whips' Holman gets 2nd chance

Hampshire boys cross country runner Tanner Holman thought his 2008 season came to a close at last week's Class 2A Belvidere sectional.

Not so fast.

"I didn't know I made until about an hour after the meet," said Holman. "The girls coach (Patti Nihells) said I missed by two spots. It was one of those things where you think, 'Oh no. I'm never going to make it down,' or that you will never have another chance to make it. Then coach Nihells came over to my house and was yelling out the window that I made it Downstate. Fenton and Richmond-Burton both tied, so both teams got the last spot and made it. So me and a boy from Rochelle moved up. I was ecstatic. I couldn't sit down. It was probably the best feeling of my life."

Holman, a senior, is one of 6 area individuals and 3 area teams that will run in Saturday's state cross country finals at Peoria's Detweiller Park. Holman is Hampshire's first boys cross country state qualifier.

"My times have been dropping," said Holman. "I've been doing a lot of distance running. I have the short and the long distance now and I can put both of them together."

Holman, whose sister Ashton was a hurdles state qualifier in track at Hampshire, counts perseverance of one of his best attributes on the course.

"I keep my head concentrated on running," said Holman. "I don't worry about pain or what I'm doing after."

Holman has a specific strategy in mind for this weekend.

"I need to keep it that I'm not done yet and concentrate on running," said Holman. "I'm going to do my best to get a top 30 and have fun. We'll see what happens."

Burlington Central freshman Clint Kliem will also run in the Class 2A meet.

In Class 3A action, Cary-Grove is back in the state finals for a second-straight season (14th in 3A in 2007). One key for the Trojans this season has been the emergence of senior Bill Roth.

Roth, plagued by hip flexor tendinitis as a junior, was Cary-Grove's second runner through the chute at the St. Charles East sectional last week.

"It does mean a lot," said Roth concerning running in the state meet. "I really didn't think about it too much. I thought the gains I've made have been enough. Now I realize that I have a good chance to finish up there. I didn't know I would be this good. It's a little exciting."

Roth said focus will be a must in Peoria.

"We can't try and do what someone else is doing," said Roth. "We have to keep focused and not get caught in what is happening at the moment."

Cary-Grove standout junior Phil Fairleigh was 78th individually last year.

Dundee-Crown sophomore Anthony Manfrin is in the state finals for a second-straight year, but is flying solo this season. D-C, which finished 10th in Class 3A in 2007, did not qualify as a team this year.

"Our goal was to go down and build on our 10th-place finish," said Roth. "It's a little disappointing. It's going to make us come out harder in track and it will motivate us more next year."

Manfrin said running at Detweiller last year in the state meet and earlier this year at the Woodruff invitational will help him come race time Saturday.

"It's definitely a good experience to run on a course that you will run again on in the future," said Manfrin, who finished 51st individually last year. "It's good to gain experience from prior meets."

Manfrin feels his mental approach must change for the state meet.

"Lately I've been getting away from running," said Manfrin. "I'm over-thinking and worrying about if I go out too fast. It's not normal for me. I have to stop thinking. I have to go out and run and lay it out on the line. I'm going to go out and run and do what I have to do and run like I'm capable of running."