DCXC - RunWashington

All-RunWashington team includes four Foot Locker, three Nike finalists

Published December 8, 2014 at 1:03PM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:50PM

Chantilly's Ryan McGorty leads Loudoun Valley junior Andrew Hunter at the Oatlands Invitational. Photo: Charlie Ban

For the third straight year, Northern Virginia is sending a runner to the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships with a serious shot at the national title, possibly on the boys’ and girls’ side. Two other area runners will join them in San Diego, making it the 25th time the region has sent multiple qualifiers to the venerated high school national championship.

The same day that Andrew Hunter, Anteneh Girma, Ciara Donohue and Weini Kelati qualified for the Foot Locker final, Rachel McArthur, Alex Corbett and Kate Murphy earned individual trips to the Nike Cross Nationals meet, a team-focused national race in Portland, Ore. Corbett and Murphy each led their Lake Braddock teams to third place finishes, just out of the automatic team berths and the boys an agonizing one point from an at-large invitation.

Oakton girls defend Va. title, McArthur, Heather Holt win individual crowns

By Charlie Ban

Published November 16, 2014 at 2:29AM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:50PM

Oakton's Allie Klimkiewicz closes in on third place in the 6A race, and the start of another state championship for the Cougars. Photo: Charlie Ban

Oakton’s girls kept everyone guessing all season, including coach Alisa Byers. Into late October, she didn’t know where her defending 6A champion team stood.

“We never really got to race together,” she said. “People had college visits, people on holidays, so we didn’t have everyone racing until the conference meet.”

Lake Braddock’s revenge plan, hatched one year ago, succeeds

By Charlie Ban

Published November 16, 2014 at 12:01AM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:50PM

Lake Braddock's Alex Corbett, closing in on the Virginia 6A individual title. Photo: Charlie Ban

But for some more fortuitous scheduling, Lake Braddock’s boys may have had “throwback Thursday” on their hands. A throwback to something none of the Bruins were alive to remember.

So they settled for a #sometimeagoSaturday. But that’s all the settling they did.

Woods, McUmber, WJ girls win Maryland state XC titles

By Jacqueline Feldscher

Published November 9, 2014 at 10:30AM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:50PM

Evan Woods on his way to the Maryland 4A boys state title. Photo: Scott Silverstein

Evan Woods decisively won the boys 4A Maryland cross country state championships Saturday, snapping rival Diego Zarate‘s winning streak for the season.

Woods, a senior at Walt Whitman, finished in 15:49. Eric Walz, a junior at Dulaney, took second in 15:56 with Zarate coming in third less than a second behind.

Wavering fights to tight finish at Md/DC Private School Championships

By Dan DiFonzo

Published November 9, 2014 at 10:25AM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:50PM

The lead pack of the boys large schools race cruises through the course at Derwood, with eventual champion Jack Wavering on the right end. Photo: Dan DiFonzo

For Georgetown Day School’s Tristan Colaizzi, it wasn’t quite the day he envisioned when he toed the line for the Maryland-DC Private Schools Cross Country Championships at the Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood.

Battling a chronic lung infection for the past few months, Colazzi knew early that he wasn’t going to be the one to challenge Good Counsel junior Jack Wavering for the top spot on this decisive race day. That’s when he tapped teammate senior Aidan Pillard less than a mile into the race and told him he’d have to be the man.

Northwood girls head to states for the first time in almost 30 years

By Emily Rabbitt

Published November 7, 2014 at 7:43AM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:50PM

Northwood's Alexis Doon races in the Montgomery County Cross Country Championship in October. Photo: Charlie Ban

In spite of a tough season, Northwood’s girls have a lot to celebrate. Even with two top runners missing time because of injuries, one the entire season, they’re on their way to the state championship for the first time in almost 30 years.

Lest that sound like a long futility streak, know that from 1987 to 2004, the school itself was closed and the building used as a haven for other school’s students during renovations. Prior to that, the team scored state championships in 1975, 1977 and 1978.

Huff, Knibb win DC state XC meet

By Erin Masterson

Published November 2, 2014 at 2:24PM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:51PM

Wilson's Lucas Lytel races E.L. Haynes's Brendan Joyner at the DC state meet. Photo: Cory Royster

Racing down the final downhill straightaway in first place, with a strong finishing kick, Tyreece Huff was the picture of confidence. Even on a hilly course at Fort Dupont Park, with “brutal hills on the backstretch,” Huff was not fazed. “This course is like a backyard to me. I train here,” he said. “And I love hills.”

He proved his point, running a 17:42 on the rolling 5k course at the third annual D.C. State High School Cross Championships, winning with a wide lead over second place Jake Gosselin of Sidwell Friends School in 18:01.

Good Counsel dominates boys’ WCAC race, scares O’Connell girls

By Charlie Ban

Published October 27, 2014 at 12:56AM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:51PM

Mike and Louisa Puffett talk to members of Mike's DeMatha team. Puffet coaches the Elizabeth Seton team. Photo: Charlie Ban

On his way down the hill with about 400 meters to go at the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships at Lake Fairfax Park, Good Counsel’s Kevin McGivern took a headfirst spill on the mud, spooking Gonzaga’s Jacob Floam, who managed to stay on his feet despite jumping to avoid McGivern.

McGivern recovered and eventually passed Floam on the way to a three-second margin in claiming second place. It was emblematic of the Falcons’ team that day: just too strong.

British take back small portion of Bethesda

By Charlie Ban

Published October 22, 2014 at 2:04PM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:51PM

Sami King holds off Page Lester for the Georgetown Prep title. Photo: Charlie Ban

The lads from St. Albans ran like they were fleeing Scotland Yard, winning the Georgetown Prep Classic during the annual exchange trip with their brothers across the pond.

[button-red url=”http://www.runwashington.com/results/” target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]Students from the British St. Albans School spent more than a week staying with runners’ families and soaking in the D.C. area. And then they helped themselves to a team title, placing five runners in the top 12 to finish comfortably ahead of Loyola, Robinson and their American hosts.

Zarate edges Woods, WJ bests B-CC at Montgomery County meet

By Charlie Ban

Published October 20, 2014 at 8:38AM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:51PM

Diego Zarate leads Evan Woods in the Montgomery County Cross Country Championships. Photo: Charlie Ban

Draw a finish line anywhere in Maryland and just wait for Diego Zarate and Evan Woods will come barreling to claim it.

It’s been happening the last two years and the rivalry saw its closest finish yet Saturday at the Montgomery County Cross Country Championships.