Erik Olson Wins Cross Country State Championship

Date Posted: Nov 28, 2009

Erik Olson Wins Division III State Championship

Marin IJ

 The dominance that Marin has experienced in the cross country postseason continued Saturday at the CIF state championships at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Novato's Erik Olson, Tam's Dan Milechman and Marin Academy's Lucy McCullough all won state titles. McCullough became the first girl from the county to win a state title in the 20 years since the state cross country meet was established. Olson and Milechman joined Redwood's Jake Schmitt (2004) as the only Marin boys to ever win a state crown.

Also, Marin Catholic's Theresa Devine finished second and two teams placed in the top 10.

Olson slowly pulled away from the pack in the boys Division III race on the way to a 15-second margin of victory after finishing the 3.1-mile course in 15minutes, 1 second.

"The first mile, there was a guy pushing the pace and in the second mile I tried to keep it at that pace," said Olson, who now holds the D-III record at the state meet and the eighth-best time ever on the course. "Right before the 2-mile (mark) there's the lone hill, and I was able glance back and see that I had a 50- to 80-meter lead. On the last mile, I continue to push it É and I was alone for the last 800 meters."

In all five boys races, Olson posted the third-best time - less than 2 seconds off the day's top mark.

"A lot of the guys I beat (on the overall sheet) had beaten me in other races," Olson said. "It was great being that close to the top guys (in the other divisions in the state). If we were all in

the same race, I really don't know what would have happened but it would have been a great race. My goal was to come out a state champion, and that's what happened. I'm happy with that."

"I want to also congratulate Dan (Milechman), Lucy (McCullough) and Theresa (Devine)," Olson said. "It was a great Marin day for us all. We really stood out today."

Novato's Courtney Madson took 70th in the girls D-III race, and Branson's Kate Courtney was not among the competitors in the girls D-V race