'Hare and Hound' tests area runners

Jake Goecke remembers the first time he ran the Richmond High School cross country Invitational on the Earlham College course as a freshman.

The race is set up in a “Hare and Hound” European style format, featuring straw bales and a water hazard to jump over.

“I’m just paranoid, because freshman year, first meet of my high school career I slipped and fell on that and looked like an idiot, but I didn’t do that today,” Goecke said Saturday.

No, he didn’t slip this time. Now a senior at Union County, Goecke instead showed that he’s come a long way, finishing the course in 17:34.48, second overall to Connersville’s Mathew Hill (17:10.99).

Junior Hayley Rogers of Hagerstown continued her dominance from last year with a second-place finish as the Tigers won the girls race. Union County finished second in the boys race, won by Greenfield-Central.

The Patriots also had a top 10 finish from freshman Breyden Wicker (sixth).

Coming in right after Goecke was another TEC standout in Northeastern’s Eric Yandl, who finished third.

http://www.pal-item.com/article/20120818/HSSPORTS/308180029/-Hare-Hound-tests-area-runners