A pack of girls cross country runners cross a clearing Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, at Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. Wiesbaden won the girls race ahead of host Ramstein. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)
A pack of girls cross country runners cross a clearing Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, at Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. Wiesbaden won the girls race ahead of host Ramstein. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)
Girls cross country competitors round a corner in a six-school race Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, at Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. Wiesbaden won the girls race ahead of host Ramstein. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)
Sidney Perry laughs with teammates after winning a six-school boys cross country race Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, at Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. The senior transferred to Wiesbaden from Florida this summer. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)
Ramstein's Katelyn Schultz crosses the finish line first in a six-school girls cross country race Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, at Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. Schultz recorded a winning time of 20 minutes, 21.96 seconds. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)
Pace yourself.
It's a common refrain in cross country circles, and Saturday's DODDS-Europe season-opening six-school meet at Ramstein was no exception.
Even for the two runaway winners.
Ramstein's Katelyn Schultz and Wiesbaden's Sidney Perry claimed victory in the boys and girls races, respectively, embarking on journeys each hopes ends with a European championship.
That’s a reasonable goal for each if they can keep the sport’s familiar mantra in mind.
"I definitely think I started off too fast," said Schultz, who ranks among DODDS-Europe's incumbent favorites after finishing seventh in the 2014 European championship meet. "I kind of started slowing down in the middle of the race. I would like to be able to stay consistent rather than start off fast and then slow down.”
Schultz finished the 5,000-meter race in 20 minutes, 21.96 seconds, about 43 seconds ahead of teammate and runner-up Holly Moser and very close to her goal of cracking the coveted 20-minute barrier.
After a strong summer of training, she said, Schultz hopes to regularly lower her personal best times, a process that might lead to a European title.
“I was definitely expecting big improvements” entering the season, Schultz said.
Perry, meanwhile, wasn’t sure what to expect in his first DODDS-Europe race after transferring from Florida this summer. The senior fared quiet well, completing the race in 16:47.96, about eight seconds ahead of Ramstein’s Aaron Schlosser.
The Warriors’ new contender saw his DODDS-Europe debut as a chance to see where he stands, and was understandably pleased with the answer.
"It was a great race," Perry said. "The main point of the race today was just to see who’s who."
Interestingly enough, neither individual winner led their school to a team victory.
On the girls side, Wiesbaden edged Ramstein despite the Royals’ No. 1 and No. 2 finishers. Third-place runner Gillian Torza led a pack of four Warriors across the finish line immediately after the two Royals.
For the boys, Ramstein runners Schlosser, John Casey and Joshua Garcia took spots two through four, enough to overtake Perry’s Warriors.
That team effort is a top priority for the Royals, said Schlosser, who finished fourth in last year’s European race.
"I just want to improve, and also have the team improve," Schlosser said. ”So we can all stick together and get a team championship.”
Twitter: @broomestripes
