Drake makes impressive sweep at the beach

In an impressive showing at the first race of the cross-country season, both the boys and girls Drake teams won the Stinson Relays yesterday. 

"Yes, it is unusual to have the same school win both the boys and the girls," said Coach William Taylor.

The girls team was led by junior Ellie Ryan and senior Julia Saunders, who has the third and fourth fastest times of the day. The team was rounded out by Summer Lawson, Sarah Bates, and Bianca Doerschlag.

The Stinson Beach Relays are an annual tradition that kicks off the season and pits teams of five against each other as each runner runs 1.6 miles along the water before tagging the hand of their teammate. 

The Drake girls won by more than a minute-and-a-half over Novato, despite Novato having the top runner of the day in Courtney Madson. Madson tied with Julia Maxwell of Branson for the best time of the day. Maxwell, who took 4th at the Dipsea two years ago, is in her freshman year.

The Drake boys team was also able to win by close to two-minutes over last year's MCAL champions San Rafael. 

Junior Will Baker-Robinson and sophomore John Lawson led the team with the top two times overall on the beach. They were joined by Carroll Oliver with the 6th fastest time, Clayton Hutchins with the 10th fastest time, and Cole Schwartz with the 16th fastest time.

Though Taylor said there is "good reason to believe we can win both [MCAL] titles," he also pointed out the rest of the season's cross-country races will be 3 miles, not 1.6 miles, and it's a long time until the end of the season.

Still, Drake might just run away with the season, as long as there's the promise of a dip in the ocean after.