Atlanta Track Club's inaugural Wingfoot XC Classic will be held on Saturday, September 26 at Sam Smith Park in Cartersville. In its first year the event is drawing top talent from across the state of Georgia and beyond.
Ranked 17th in the nation on Flo 50, Amaris Tyynismaa from Alabama will be one to watch. The freshman at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School is described by Coach Ed Wright as some who "just came out of the blue". Tyynismaa is a seven-time middle school Alabama State Champion who has built a lot of excitement around Montgomery Catholic's girls cross country team this year. She was also diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at the age of four, and running has helped her to manage her condition.
"She's just a natural," explained Coach Wright. When others asked him what kind of training method he used for Tyynismaa during track season, he would reply, "My job is to keep her healthy. She's just that competitive and has that much talent." His training method for Tyynismaa, and his team as a whole, is to focus on the quality of their miles over quantity, have them train on grass whenever possible and utilize time limits rather than mileage assignments at practice.
Tyynismaa is expected to complete the 5K course in upper 17s or low 18s. The Montgomery Catholic team will "divide and conquer" that weekend: half will compete here in Georgia while the other half will race closer to home over their homecoming weekend. Coach Wright liked the idea of allowing some of his better runners to enter an extremely competitive field and travel for a race.
Some of Tyynismaa's top competition includes:
Emma Grace Hurley -- Fellowship Christian School -- Senior--Footlocker National Qualifier
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Lindsay Billings -- Northview High School -- Senior--Defending 6A State Champion
Savannah Carnahan -- South Forsyth High School -- Senior--Currently holds fastest time in Georgia (17:47)
Serena Tripodi -- The Lovett School -- Junior--2A XC, 1600, 3200 State Champion
Other top runners include Josie Wirtz (Marist School), Kaylee DuPont (South Forsyth), Helen Williams (AIS), Sue Anne Moralis (East Jackson), Riley Burr (Milton) and Mary Claire Solomon (Blessed Trinity).