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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Joey Gaines got the answer to the question nobody ever thought to ask: What’s harder — running a 5k cross country race or traveling to Clifton, Va. from Greenbelt, Md. on a Sunday afternoon?
[button-red url=”http://va.milesplit.com/meets/176775-glory-days-grill-invitational#.VD8GuvnF-PU” target=”_self” position=”left”] Results [/button-red]
After a few heavy weekends of racing, some teams took off, but it wasn’t a rest week for everyone.
In Cary, N.C., Loudoun Valley’s Andrew Hunter ran 14:46 to win the Great American Cross Country Invitational’s Race of Champions, demonstrating what he can do on a fast course. E.C. Glass sophomore Libby Davidson ran 17:07, letting Heritage’s Weini Kelati know the 4A state championship won’t be a lonely race. James Madison’s girls took fifth, with a short-handed Oakton team behind in 14th.
When Anthony Belber was brought on as an assistant track coach at the Georgetown Day School 17 years ago, the GDS Hoppers could hardly fill a school bus.
“The first year I coached, we only had four girls and 10 to 12 boys in cross country,” he recalled.
It’s not unusual for Carolyn Ruth Carlson, of Chantilly, to be found grinding away on her stationary bike with science textbooks open or while looking at a PowerPoint presentation.
Choosing between a degree in biology and the triathlon team at James Madison University simply wasn’t an option.
The DCXC Invitational gave Maryland, D.C. and Virginia runners a chance to face off, though the grade-level race format precluded a showdown between Heritage junior Weini Kelati and Bethesda-Chevy Chase senior Nora McUmber, both strong contenders for their respective state individual titles in Virginia and Maryland, it didn’t keep anyone from running a fast time, with 14 boys breaking 16 minutes on a course that while not as hilly as others, still retained some challenge, with turns and uneven footing.
Walter Johnson’s girls took a look at the Maryland state meet course, which will return to Hereford, and came away with a win in the elite race, capturing three of the top four places with Kiernan Keller winning, and Abbey Green and Emily Murphy following in third and fourth.