Several tune-up races to Foot Locker this weekend

Several tuneup races this weekend for cross country runners looking to continue their seasons onto Foot Locker South next Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Returning Foot Locker All-American in homeschooled junior Aurora Scott appears to be in amazing shape and ready to challenge pre-race favorite Kathy Kroeger of Tennessee as Foot Locker South champion after running a reported 16:35 road race 5K today in Williamsburg, Virginia. Meanwhile, W.T. Woodson senior Sarrah Hadiji bounced back from having to drop out of the state race with a turned ankle as she won the Charger Elite 3200 Meter Run at Chantilly High School in a reported time of 11:09. Meanwhile, Herndon\'s Ermin Mujezinovic wins the boys with a time of 9:32. With stronger representation and recruitment of their top runners, Maryland boys and girls both won the first ever Battle of the Potomac as Hermitage\'s John Vial (3rd, 16:41) and West Potomac\'s Elizabeth Heath (2nd, 19:20) lead Team Virginia.


Scott ready to take on Kroeger and rest in Foot Locker South after 16:37 road 5K

Governor\'s Land 5K Complete Results

Aurora Scott, the homeschool distance running superstar from Chesapeake, clocked a personal best 5K of 16:37 Saturday at the Governor\'s Land 5K held in Williamsburg, Virginia. The 16 year old was only one second off the Virginia state road 5K course record on the certified 5K course as she was 18 seconds faster than the first finishing male individual. After taking a break from racing since mid September, the top returnee from the 2005 Foot Locker South and two-time qualifier for Foot Locker Nationals including a top South region individual finish of eighth last December at San Diego\'s Balboa Park in December, Scott has put together two impressive races in a six day span. Scott won the AAU State Meet on Sunday, November 12th held at Sportsplex Park in Virginia Beach in heavy rains and strong winds in a 17:14 5K time. Scott\'s time was only ten seconds slower at the AAU State Meet than the top boys time by Ian Tupper of Norfolk Collegiate at 17:02. Tupper had posted a 17:31 5K at the Virginia Independent Schools State Championships held at Woodberry Forest only two days earlier. It would appear Scott could run comfortably under 18 minutes at one of the state\'s tougher and slower courses found at Woodberry Forest. If that is the case, expect an assault on Erin Keogh\'s 16:45 course record by Scott at McAlpine on Saturday that has survived the test of time for two decades. With Kathy Kroeger of Tennessee running at a high level of this fall and several key returnees from last year in the region also competiting, Scott will definitely be pushed to go after it.

Battle of the Potomac: MD vs. Virginia Border War

Battle of the Potomac Complete Results

While Maryland did a better job at recruiting its top runners for the first annual event as the number of runners with state titles and all-state honors representing our neighbors to the north definitely outweighing the numbers found among the Virginia representatives, West Springfield parent Dave Watt put on a great and unique event that should only grow in the future. Maryland won both team championships between the two states as they also had the individual race champions with Maryland private school state champion Nick Bax (16:17) and Kristen Malloy (19:16).

Hermitage senior John Vial led Team Virginia for the boys finishing third overall in a time of 16:41 on the Smokey Glen 5K course in Gaithersburg, Virginia. Virginia\'s top three finishers had to drive considerable distance to travel to the meet with Vial from Richmond, Harrisonburg junior Bryant Clopper (4th, 16:47) from Harrisonburg, and E.C. Glass junior Nathan Richards (6th, 16:51) from Lynchburg. Herndon senior Matt Giorgis (7th, 16:54), Hermitage senior Ben Hendrick (11th, 17:07), T.C. Williams junior Brad Kenimer (14th, 17:19), and J.E.B. Stuart junior Abiy Mohammed (15th, 17:22) also garnered top 15 finishes for Team VA. Vial, Clopper, and Giorgis all earned All-State honors last weekend at Great Meadows.

West Potomac junior Elizabeth Heath did not earn All-State honors last week in the AAA state race after coming as a strong favorite to snag one of the top 15 places, so she ran with a chip on her shoulder and feeling the need to redeem herself in the \"Border War\". Heath did just that by representing and leading Virginia with a runner-up finish of 19:20 as she finished only four seconds behind one of Maryland\'s top runners in Malloy. For of the next seven finishers from Virginia were freshmen with South County\'s Madeleine Willner (8th, 20:30), West Potomac\'s Kelsey Rosenberg (12th, 20:41), West Potomac\'s Julianne Bigler (14th, 20:47), and West Springfield\'s Alex Watt (15th, 20:50) joining a junior trio of Lake Braddock\'s Erin Landy (7th, 20:28) and Anna Corrigan (10th, 20:39) and Langley\'s Victoria Cook (11th, 20:41) as Virginia\'s top finishers in the race.

Hadiji, Mujezinovic win at Chantilly 3200

Charger Elite 3200m Run Complete Results

In the second annual Charger Elite 3200m Run held at Chantilly High School on Saturday morning, Sarrah Hadiji of W.T. Woodson and Ermin Mujezinovic of Herndon put up solid winning times in the eight lap race, which should give them both confidence heading into Foot Locker South on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hadiji needed the race to shake off the disappointment of having to drop out of the state meet last weekend after turning her ankle in mile two at Great Meadows. Hadiji had more than just a \"shake out\" run on Saturday morning at Chantilly to prep for Foot Locker South as she posted an excellent time of 11:09 to win by 15 seconds over AAA all-state runner Michelle Presley of Lake Braddock (11:24). Presley, who focuses on the middle distance events during the track season might want to give the 3200 possibly a few tries this year with a fine racing debut at the distance.

Brad Siragusa did the pacing duties for the boys field as he won last year\'s event in 9:25 and went onto qualify for Foot Locker Nationals at Foot Locker South. While conditions were better this year than last year\'s race, Herndon senior Ermin Mujezinovic certainly has to feel good about himself going into Charlotte after winning in 9:32 at Chantilly. SE #10 Thomas Jefferson boys had a pair under 10 minutes with Paul Norland (2nd, 9:48), and Richard Prevost (3rd, 9:56).