The St. Petersburg runner beats the humidity, the hype and Melissa Kotchman.
By JOHN C. COTEY
Published September 4, 2003
LARGO - It was, as predicted, an epic showdown. Kerry Allen, the St. Petersburg sophomore and the county's best public school runner, took the early lead and was closely stalked by private school phenom Melissa Kotchman.
The race had everything: drama, intrigue, suspense.
That is, until the third and final mile.
Leaving Kotchman in her wake, Allen stunned the large crowd watching by pulling away and winning her second straight Largo Invitational.
Allen set a personal best, winning in 18 minutes, 40 seconds, more than a minute better than Kotchman's 19:44.
The victory wasn't such a surprise, but the margin had people buzzing.
"I thought she'd win, but no, not like that," Largo coach and race organizer Mike Beck said. "It was hot, there was 100 percent humidity, it was muggy. The conditions were far from good. That's an excellent time."
Allen thinks some prerace jitters might have helped propel her to her time. She said some classmates and teachers mentioned the match-up with Kotchman today, and she was aware the Indian Rocks Christian sophomore has been named the Times Runner of the Year in 2001 and '02.
"I think that made me get a little nervous, running against her," Allen said. "I knowI wouldn't have gotten that time if she wasn't in the race."
Allen blew away her winning time of 19:58 last year.
Kotchman struggled to finish the race, even though she was 54 seconds ahead of third-place Heather Bailey of Seminole. Indian Rocks coach Kris Williams said he could tell on the final turn his runner was done.
"She was white as a ghost," he said. "I just told her at that point to slow down."
Kotchman said it just wasn't her day.
"It was great running against someone of my caliber," she said. "I just put too much pressure on myself."
Because it was the first race of the year Allen didn't plan on putting too much stock in the outcome. But after a breakout track season - she won the 3200 meter state championship in track - and a full summer of training, she has distinguished herself from the rest of the county.
"I don't think (the win) means too much," she said. "It's just a nice thing to happen. This early, anything could have happened."
Seminole took the team title with 47 points, placing all five of its scorers in the top 15. Mary Magee was eighth, and Madeline Parholo, Amanda Skillen and Lauren Vogel finished 11-12-13.
Largo was second with 71 points behind Kaley Matthews' seventh-place finish, and Kerrie Savery was fourth to lead Palm Harbor University to third overall.
