Welcome Home, Champ!

RFH 2010, Cover Stories

Sat, Nov 13, 2010

When the siren on the police car stopped wailing, Sage Hurta stepped out of the HCS Suburban wearing the Class D girls' cross country state champion's gold medal and a great smile tonight.

She was welcomed by an ethusiastic group of friends and received congratulations from a variety of folks who had just finished seeing -- and in one case, acting in -- the school's production of Little Women. And, she received the praise of her coach.

Not a bad Saturday night for a seventh grader.

Hurta finished 14 seconds ahead of the next finisher in the state championship meet run today in Pawling. She finished the 5,000 meter course in a time of 19:59.8.

"She ran a strategically great race," said Coach Rick Hanson (in photo below with Sage). "She was patient and saved herself. She moved into first place with about three quarters of a mile to go and didn't look back. She ran like a veteran."

Hurta, whose parents met when running track at Cornell University, said she wore a watch and was keeping track of her splits. She said she knew she was on the pace she needed to be.

The victory today won Hurta, who has been running seriously for about two years, an invitation to the Federation meet Saturday in Wappinger's Falls.