DCXC - RunWashington

The Tower

Published September 15, 2014 at 11:46AM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:51PM

Jim Vollmer celebrates when he learns his Poolesville girls cross country team won the 2013 divisional title. Photo: Melanie

When he last set foot on a track, all was right in Jim Vollmer‘s world. He was at the Maryland state track and field championships over Memorial Day weekend, working as a race official and silently cheering on his Poolesville High School runners, whom he coached in cross country.

He left the meet with genuine excitement and a feeling of satisfaction for the achievement of his runners on this sunny spring day. Senior Chase Weaverling capped a sensational senior year by winning the state title in the boys’ 3200 meter race. And the girls’ and boys’ 4×800 meter squads ran spirited efforts to finish third and fourth, respectively.

Cross Country Weekly Roundup #1

By Charlie Ban

Published September 8, 2014 at 8:15AM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:52PM

Local cross country teams were in action throughout the region last weeknd, including at the Monroe Parker Invitational, where Chantilly's Xaveria Hawvermale (with orange shoes) staked her claim to be mentioned among contenders for the Virginia 6A individual title. Photo: Ed Lull

Every week during the cross country season, we’ll hear from our RunWashington coaches panel to learn what they liked about the most recent races, including some normative judgments that I, as a journalist, feel unqualified to make.

Local teams ran at the Monroe Parker, Great Meadows, Lake Forest, Seahawk and Brunswick invitationals, among others. The heat and humidity played a big part in slowing times down.

Oakton aims for state repeat

By David Pittman

Published September 7, 2014 at 9:31PM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:52PM

Oakton kicked off the 2014 season with a solid win at the Great Meadows Invitational, with Allie Klimkiewicz (fourth), Casey Kendall (fifth) and Leya Salis (seventh)

The Dean of MoCo Running

By Dickson Mercer

Published September 7, 2014 at 7:37PM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 5:59PM

Sherwood High School Coach Dan Reeks at the Bull Run Invitational with Sherwood runners Maddie Peloff, left, and Grace McDonald. Photo by Debbie Harman

Dan Reeks believes in running. He knows what running did for him, and knows what running can do for others.

He started coaching in Montgomery County 43 years ago, during his early 20s. Back then he was a volunteer assistant for Paint Branch High School, and not necessarily volunteering by choice, either. Reeks, then a national-class runner, said he was concerned about an Amateur Athletic Union rule limiting how much money one could earn through coaching.

McGorty, Lake Braddock boys make noise at Monroe Parker opener

By Charlie Ban

Published September 7, 2014 at 4:47PM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:52PM

Westfield's Johnny Pace leads Woodson's Robert Lockhart and Lake Braddock's Alex Corbett and Kevin Mongue to the two mile mark at the Monroe Parker Invitational. Photo: Charlie Ban

Adrenaline launches most kids through the first mile of a cross country race. Then reality catches up in the second mile, and when that’s compounded with a long sunny stretch and temperatures well into the 80s, the overly bold typically pay for their exuberance.

Unless they are Ryan McGorty.

The All-RunWashington Preseason Team

By Charlie Ban

Published August 18, 2014 at 7:58PM | Updated June 25, 2018 at 4:52PM

Tim Ward, Amanda Swaak, Ryan McGorty, Kevin Monogue, Ellie Leape, Alex Corbett, Tristan Colaizzi, Keirnan Keller, Amir Khaghani and Emily Murphy. Photos by Dustin Whitlow

Simply put, last year was good for the D.C. area’s cross country runners. West Springfield’s Caroline Alcorta‘s third place was the best Footlocker Cross Country Championships race by a girl since Erin Keough won it all in 1986. Katy Kunc and Hannah Christen gave Lake Braddock two national championships qualifiers. Edison’s Louis Colson and Marshall’s Mackenzie Haight proved the 5A class’ depth by making it, and St. Albans’ Tai Dinger gave D.C. its first qualifier since Sidwell’s John McGowan.

But that was last year.

Dropping Baggage

By Maggie Lloyd

Published June 1, 2014 at 10:25PM | Updated April 11, 2018 at 3:56PM

Carl Klein takes the Annandale track team through their drills. Photo: Dustin Whitlow/DWhit Photography

Carl Klein woke up one night to a police officer knocking on the window of his Ford Explorer. He was parked in a lot right off the highway, and the officer told him he couldn’t sleep there. Carl started his car, drove to another location and fell asleep again.

He was 17 years old.

All-RunWashington: Louis Colson, Edison

By Charlie Ban

Published April 21, 2014 at 12:43AM | Updated April 11, 2018 at 3:52PM

Edison's Louis Colson flanked by teammates Monty Westendorff (5174) and Joe McAlister (354) at the 2013 Crystal City Twilighter. Photo: Brian W. Knight/Swim Bike Run Photography

Riding high on his trip to the Virginia state track championships as a freshman, Thomas A. Edison’s Louis Colson got overconfident going into his second year of cross country.

Overconfident, but certainly not lazy.

All-RunWashington: Katy Kunc, Lake Braddock

By Jessie Biele

Published April 20, 2014 at 1:34PM | Updated April 11, 2018 at 3:52PM

A lifelong soccer player, Katy Kunc didn’t start running competitively until her junior year of high school.

She intended to run to get in shape for soccer, but had a lot of fun running cross-country. One year later, the Lake Braddock senior just completed her second cross-country season. She recently competed in the Foot Locker Nationals at Balboa Park in San Diego finishing in 19th place with a time of 18:07.

All-RunWashington: Nora McUmber, Bethesda-Chevy Chase

By Jake Klim

Published March 22, 2014 at 9:21AM | Updated April 11, 2018 at 3:51PM

When she toed the line at the Nike Cross Nationals (NXN) Southeast Regional Championship in Cary, North Carolina in November, Nora McUmber, a junior from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, had never broken 18 minutes in a cross country 5k race before. She had run a great season, no doubt about it, but she was disappointed in her second place performance 3 weeks earlier in the Girls’ 4A race at the Maryland state meet.

“You can’t have good races everyday,” Nora sighed.