Coverage from Friday's Virginia Independent Schools State Cross Country Championships at Woodberry Forest School as complete coverage will include race videos from all 4 races, video interviews from each of the 4 individual state champions, two photo galleries, and a full meet summary.
2013 Virginia Independent Schools State XC Championships:
- Meet Page
- Race Results: Division 1 Boys - Division 1 Girls - Division 2 Boys - Division 2 Girls - Merged Boys - Merged Girls
- Race Videos: Division 1 Boys - Division 1 Girls - Division 2 Boys - Division 2 Girls
- Photo Gallery by Arnel Gonce - More photos being added
- Video Interviews: Hale Ross (The Potomac School) - Molly Breidenbaugh (Trinity) - Miles Clikeman (Veritas) - Molly McKenna (Peninsula Catholic)
Division 1 Girls Summary: The state's longest active streak of state team titles is no more. After winning six straight Division 1 state titles at the Virginia Independent School State Cross Country Championships from 2007 thru 2012, the Bishop O'Connell girls had to settle for second place for once. The O'Connell girls tallied a team score of 99 points, which put them 23 points behind the new Division 1 state team champions from St. Catherine's.
The League of Independent Schools champions last Friday, the St. Catherine's girls averaged under 21 minutes on the difficult Woodberry Forest School 5K course led by top 10 finishes from junior Ann Nicholson (3rd, 19:59) and eighth grader Izzy LeBey (7th, 20:20). Rounding out the scoring for a youthful St. Catherine's squad were sophomore Ryley Ogden (17th, 21:07), freshmen Ryan Dotter (22nd, 21:26), and freshmen Riley Alvis (27th, 21:38).
The Bishop O'Connell program could be back on top next fall though to start a new streak as there is no graduating senior among their current top 9 including three All-State finishers on Friday in Isabell Baltimore (8th, 20:35), Theresa Matula (15th, 20:56), and Briana Broccoli (19th, 21:10). Under the guidance of coach Cindy Walls, BIshop O'Connell will be a steady force to compete for state titles as long as she is running the show.
The LIS conference dominated the top 5 in the team standings of the Division 1 race with St. Catherine's, Collegiate (3rd, 128 pts), St. Anne's-Belfield School (4th, 131 pts), and Trinity Episcopal (5th, 169 pts).
A short list of girls have ever broken 19 minutes at Woodberry Forest and Molly Breidenbaugh of Trinity Episcopal joined them as a repeat state individual champion in the Division 1 race with a 18:41 victory. It was a 36 second improvement from her 2012 state win at Woodberry, which she followed that race up several weeks later with a 18:01 5K performance at Foot Locker South. Breidenbaugh is hoping for a similar 75 second drop from Woodberry Forest to McAlpine Greenway Park in Charlotte for the Foot Locker South Regional, which would then likely find herself near a top 10 finish in the seeded race and national berth.
St. Anne's-Belfield sophomore Madison Hunter posted a strong runner-up time of 19:35 as she was one of only four girls on the day to dip under 20 minutes on the hilly course. After finishing third as an 8th grader and freshmen at the state meet, Hunter was able to improve one place and set herself up to be the top returner and early favorite for the 2014 Division 1 state race.
Division 1 Boys Summary: Woodberry Forest coach Ben Hale has been coaching cross country for 21 years. In 7 of those 21 years, Hale's Woodberry Forest boys cross country champions have ended the season as state champions. After last week defeating the defending Division 1 state champions from Trinity Episcopal, the Woodberry Forest boys were certainly feeling good about their chances to come back and win again on Friday while racing on their home course. Robert Singleton paced the Woodberry Forest boys out in front with a 4th place effort of 17:14. Woodberry Forest had a stout top four of All-State finishers in SIngleton, Hines Liles (7th, 17:30), Cameron Finley (15th, 17:51), and Perry Hammond (16th, 17:54). Billy Osterman (34th, 18:24) closed the door on Trinity's hopes of keeping the state championship trophy in their hands as Woodberry's fifth and final scorer for a total team tally of 76 points.
Trinity Episcopal boys finished clear ahead of the rest of the field including third place Paul VI (154 pts) with a team score of 105 points, but Woodberry Forest putting four runners ahead of Trinity's #2 runner was too much for the previously 3-time defending Division 1 state champs (2010-2012) from Trinity to overcome. Jamie Hiegel was one of the few core varsity guys left from those state champion squads and did his part carrying the defending state champion's flag with a third place individual finish of 17:12.
Hiegel once again found himself in a battle in the final stages of the race with Fork Union sophomore Alexander Lomong, who like last week at the Prep League Championships used his 50 second open 400 speed to kick his way ahead of Hiegel, but this time for state runner-up honors in 17:09. His older brother Peter Lomong (17:38) also joined him in the top 10 as both figure to really shine the most in the middle distance events on the track this winter and spring with the good genes in being the siblings of two-time Olympian Lopez Lomong.
Able to break away from both Lomong and Hiegel in the final half of the race to win his first state title by a decisive margin of 29 seconds was Hale Ross of The Potomac School with a 16:40 performance. Ross comes from a family of great runners including 2007 state cross country champion in older brother Johns Ross, while the middle brother Campbell was a top 3 state finisher in 2008. Hale Ross has dipped under 16 minutes for 5K twice this season including a 15:35 personal best run at the Third Battle Invite and is looking forward to run closer to the PR time of 15:14 by his older brother Johns Ross from the 2007 Foot Locker South Regional when he just missed a Foot Locker Nationals berth. Hale will be venturing down to the same PR friendly course at McAlpine for Foot Locker South in three weeks.
Division 2 Girls Summary: Martine Hunnicutt was helping lead the Peninsula Catholic girls to a state title two years ago, while also winning the Division 2 individual state title in 2011 at Woodberry Forest. It was only fitting that after conceding the #1 runner position on her team this season to a vastly improved and late blooming runner in teammate Molly McKenna, Hunnicutt had arguably her best race of her junior season to help make for a dominant team title for the Pensinula Catholic girls. McKenna was 11th (21:39) in that 2011 state race which Hunnicutt won in 20:12.
Two years later, McKenna is over 2 minutes faster and a state champion as she crossed the line 19:34. Also running faster than the 2011 meet was Hunnicutt who was able to move ahead of Morgan Lewis of Veritas in the final half mile to allow Peninsula Catholic to have the top two finishers with Hunnicutt timed at 20:01 in second place. Those two single digit score cards along with a third All-State finisher in Becky Aungst (14th, 21:41) allowed the Peninsula Catholic girls to win easily by 36 points as they averaged 21:12 as a squad.
Heading into the season, the Division 2 state title favorite would have been Veritas School freshmen Morgan Lewis, who was coming off an amazing spring season of track including a sub 11 minute 3200. However, a back injury kept Lewis out of races and from training until two weeks ago. She tried her best despite limited training to keep McKenna in sight and striking distance for the majority of the race, but still showed is a few weeks if not months away from being close to her best fitness and finished 3rd with a time of 20:16. It was a gutsy effort for Lewis, whose return had a significant impact on her Veritas School squad as the girls earned their highest state meet finish ever as Division 2 state runners-up with 88 points.
Division 2 Boys Summary: Friday was the first race for Miles Clikeman in over a month as the Veritas sophomore had been out during that time due to a stress fracture. His body seemed to handle the stress well on the state meet stage as the lanky runner moved well in the last mile after his teammates Tripp Fitch (3rd, 16:46) and Cameron Francis (4th, 16:47) pushed the pace early on along with Peninsula Catholic's Philip Harpen (2nd, 16:38) to win with the fastest time of the day in 16:34. A remarkable race for Clikeman after missing so much time in the final half of the season.
With three runners among the top four places, the Veritas boys were successful in achieving the 3-peat (2013, 2012, 2011) as the Virginia Independent Schools Division 2 team champions in cross country. Their squad also came out on top in the results merge between the two division races over the Division 1 champs from Woodberry Forest (72 pts to 115 pts) to showcase how strong and competitive that the 2013 Veritas squad is despite being a smaller Division 2 school. Completing the team scoring for Veritas was David Heide (7th, 17:46) and Nicholas Kontopanos (13th, 18:20), while Alex Franck (14th, 18:23) made for a total of six All-State individuals for the team.
The next two teams were Catholic Schools from the TCIS in Peninsula Catholic (2nd, 58 pts) and Walsingham Academy (3rd, 159 pts). Peninsula Catholic was well represented near the front of the field like Veritas with Harpen (2nd, 16:38), Max Weidman (6th, 17:37), and Collin White (9th, 17:58), while Jack Grimson broke well inside the top 10 as Walsingham's leader in 5th place (17:20).
Virginia Independent Schools Division 1
Boys Team State Champions
Woodberry Forest School 76 pts (17:47 avg, 1:10 spread)
Virginia Independent Schools Division 1
Boys Team State Runners-up
Trinity Episcopal 105 pts (17:58 avg, 1:02 spread)
Division 1 Boys - Top 5 Teams
Team Scores | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place | Team | Points | Scorers | Times | ||
1 | Woodberry Forest | 76 | 4+7+15+16+34 (46+83) | 1:10 1-5 Split | 17:47 Avg | ||
2 | Trinity Episcopal School | 105 | 3+21+25+26+30 (36+38) | 1:02 1-5 Split | 17:58 Avg | ||
3 | Paul VI Catholic | 154 | 9+28+33+41+43 (44+47) | 1:05 1-5 Split | 18:18 Avg | ||
4 | Bishop O'Connell | 174 | 6+11+31+58+68 (74+75) | 1:53 1-5 Split | 18:24 Avg | ||
5 | The Potomac School | 180 | 1+14+32+37+96 (99+102) | 3:30 1-5 Split | 18:18 Avg |
Virginia Independent Schools Division 1
Boys Individual State Champion
Hale Ross (The Potomac School) 16:40
Division 1 Boys - Top 20 All-State Individuals
Place | Athlete | Team | Result | Points | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ross, Hale | The Potomac School | 16:40.10 | 1 | ||
2 | Lomong, Alexander | Fork Union | 17:09.51 | 2 | ||
3 | Hiegel, Jamie | Trinity Episcopal School | 17:12.75 | 3 | ||
4 | Singleton, Robert | Woodberry Forest | 17:14.32 | 4 | ||
5 | Wiggins, Grant | Norfolk Academy | 17:18.00 | 5 | ||
6 | Speier, Josh | Bishop O'Connell | 17:29.49 | 6 | ||
7 | Liles, Hines | Woodberry Forest | 17:30.62 | 7 | ||
8 | Folger, Nate | Flint Hill School | 17:34.70 | 8 | ||
9 | Stepka, Andrew | Paul VI Catholic | 17:35.67 | 9 | ||
10 | Lomong, Peter | Fork Union | 17:38.33 | 10 | ||
11 | Brough, Joseph | Bishop O'Connell | 17:45.98 | 11 | ||
12 | Decker, Petey | Norfolk Academy | 17:48.03 | 12 | ||
13 | Morgan, Greg | Episcopal | 17:48.92 | 13 | ||
14 | Terrones, Glanmarco | The Potomac School | 17:50.62 | 14 | ||
15 | Finley, Cameron | Woodberry Forest | 17:51.53 | 15 | ||
16 | Hammond, Perry | Woodberry Forest | 17:54.54 | 16 | ||
17 | Cuevas, Joey | Saint Christopher`s | 17:59.14 | 17 | ||
18 | Gallant, Andre | Pope John Paul the Great Catholic High School | 18:00.67 | 18 | ||
19 | Pritchard, Nathan | Liberty Christian Academy | 18:04.56 | 19 | ||
20 | Mosman, Kyle | Collegiate | 18:06.13 | 20 |
Virginia Independent Schools Division 1
Girls Team State Champions
St. Catherine's 76 pts (20:54 avg, 1:38 avg)
Virginia Independent Schools Division 1
Girls Team State Runners-up
Bishop O'Connell 99 pts (21:12 avg, 1:03 spread)
Division 1 Girls - Top 5 Teams
Team Scores | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place | Team | Points | Scorers | Times | ||
1 | Saint Catherine's | 76 | 3+7+17+22+27 (37+47) | 1:38 1-5 Split | 20:54 Avg | ||
2 | Bishop O'Connell | 99 | 8+15+19+28+29 (30+35) | 1:03 1-5 Split | 21:12 Avg | ||
3 | Collegiate | 128 | 11+21+24+26+46 (50+51) | 1:37 1-5 Split | 21:27 Avg | ||
4 | St. Anne's-Belfield School | 131 | 2+13+33+41+42 (108) | 2:36 1-5 Split | 21:20 Avg | ||
5 | Trinity Episcopal School | 169 | 1+4+52+53+59 (75+82) | 4:17 1-5 Split | 21:20 Avg |
Virginia Independent Schools Division 1
Girls Individual State Champion
Molly Breidenbaugh (Trinity Episcopal) 18:41
Division 1 Girls - Top 20 All-State Individuals
Place | Athlete | Team | Result | Points | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Breidenbaugh, Molly | Trinity Episcopal School | 18:41.22 | 1 | ||
2 | Hunter, Madison | St. Anne's-Belfield School | 19:35.97 | 2 | ||
3 | Nicholson, Ann | Saint Catherine's | 19:59.83 | 3 | ||
4 | Bowe, Katie | Trinity Episcopal School | 20:00.96 | 4 | ||
5 | Gallant, Denise | Pope John Paul the Great Catholic High School | 20:01.50 | 5 | ||
6 | Palmer, Noel | Liberty Christian Academy | 20:18.06 | 6 | ||
7 | LeBey, Izzy | Saint Catherine's | 20:20.00 | 7 | ||
8 | Baltimore, Isabell | Bishop O'Connell | 20:35.46 | 8 | ||
9 | Frazier, Hannah | Bishop Sullivan | 20:36.43 | 9 | ||
10 | Lambert, Julia | Norfolk Academy | 20:38.24 | 10 | ||
11 | Golladay, Claire | Collegiate | 20:39.38 | 11 | ||
12 | Lohrer, Maggie | Bishop Ireton | 20:40.10 | 12 | ||
13 | Pritchard, Megan | St. Anne's-Belfield School | 20:52.04 | 13 | ||
14 | Landy, Genna | Flint Hill School | 20:53.03 | 14 | ||
15 | Matula, Theresa | Bishop O'Connell | 20:56.70 | 15 | ||
16 | Granovsky, Rachel | The Potomac School | 21:02.25 | 16 | ||
17 | Ogden, Ryley | Saint Catherine's | 21:07.49 | 17 | ||
18 | Falken, Grace | Episcopal | 21:09.64 | 18 | ||
19 | Broccoli, Briana | Bishop O'Connell | 21:10.00 | 19 | ||
20 | Yoder, Savannah | Norfolk Academy | 21:14.18 | 20 |
Virginia Independent Schools Division 2
Boys Team State Champions
Veritas School 28 pts (17:14 avg, 1:45 spread)
Virginia Independent Schools Division 2
Boys Team State Runners-up
Peninsula Catholic 58 pts (17:54 avg, 2:11 spread)
Division 2 Boys - Top 5 Teams
Team Scores | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place | Team | Points | Scorers | Times | ||
1 | Veritas School | 28 | 1+3+4+7+13 (14+49) | 1:45 1-5 Split | 17:14 Avg | ||
2 | Peninsula Catholic | 58 | 2+6+9+17+24 (36+43) | 2:11 1-5 Split | 17:54 Avg | ||
3 | Walsingham Academy | 159 | 5+18+25+50+61 (73+87) | 2:28 1-5 Split | 18:48 Avg | ||
4 | Miller School | 191 | 12+35+38+46+60 (69+77) | 1:37 1-5 Split | 19:09 Avg | ||
5 | Trinity Christian School | 217 | 29+41+42+52+53 (58+64) | 0:39 1-5 Split | 19:24 Avg |
Virginia Independent Schools Division 2
Boys Individual State Champion
Miles Clikeman (Veritas School) 16:34
Division 2 Boys - Top 20 All-State Individuals
Place | Athlete | Team | Result | Points | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Clikeman, Miles | Veritas School | 16:34.49 | 1 | ||
2 | Harpen, Philip | Peninsula Catholic | 16:38.29 | 2 | ||
3 | Fitch, Tripp | Veritas School | 16:46.16 | 3 | ||
4 | Francis, Cameron | Veritas School | 16:47.64 | 4 | ||
5 | Grimson, Jack | Walsingham Academy | 17:20.71 | 5 | ||
6 | Weidman, Max | Peninsula Catholic | 17:37.60 | 6 | ||
7 | Heide, David | Veritas School | 17:46.46 | 7 | ||
8 | Runyon, Michael | Trinity School at Meadow View | 17:56.71 | 8 | ||
9 | White, Collin | Peninsula Catholic | 17:58.88 | 9 | ||
10 | Jackson, Tim | Seton School | 17:59.52 | 10 | ||
11 | Berner, Gustav | Nansemond-Suffolk Academy | 18:08.58 | 11 | ||
12 | Fortenberry, Rahls | Miller School | 18:10.64 | 12 | ||
13 | Kontopanos, Nicholas | Veritas School | 18:20.16 | 13 | ||
14 | Franck, Alex | Veritas School | 18:23.04 | 14 | ||
15 | Marshall, Stephen | Denbigh Baptist | 18:23.72 | 15 | ||
16 | Rohrman, Tyler | Quantico | 18:24.19 | 16 | ||
17 | Taleghani, Eric | Peninsula Catholic | 18:26.29 | 17 | ||
18 | Hamra, Duncan | Walsingham Academy | 18:26.62 | 18 | ||
19 | Grider, Andrew | Faith Christian School | 18:26.98 | 19 | ||
20 | Burtle, James | Fredericksburg Christian | 18:27.38 | 20 |
Virginia Independent Schools Division 2
Girls Team State Champions
Peninsula Catholic 52 pts (21:12 avg, 2:45 spread)
Virginia Independent Schools Division 2
Girls Team State Runners-up
Veritas School 88 pts (22:00 avg, 2:21 spread)
Division 2 Girls - Top 5 Teams
Team Scores | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place | Team | Points | Scorers | Times | ||
1 | Peninsula Catholic | 52 | 1+2+12+18+19 (29+33) | 2:48 1-5 Split | 21:12 Avg | ||
2 | Veritas School | 88 | 3+15+22+23+25 (42+50) | 2:21 1-5 Split | 22:00 Avg | ||
3 | Covenant | 147 | 17+20+28+31+51 (93+100) | 1:51 1-5 Split | 22:52 Avg | ||
4 | Nansemond-Suffolk Academy | 149 | 9+14+35+45+46 (47+63) | 2:20 1-5 Split | 22:42 Avg | ||
5 | Walsingham Academy | 153 | 5+32+36+37+43 (49+57) | 2:31 1-5 Split | 22:49 Avg |
Virginia Independent Schools Division 2
Girls Team State Champions
Molly McKenna (Peninsula Catholic)
Division 2 Girls - Top 20 All-State Individuals
Place | Athlete | Team | Result | Points | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | McKenna, Molly | Peninsula Catholic | 19:35.28 | 1 | ||
2 | Hunnicutt, Martine | Peninsula Catholic | 20:01.15 | 2 | ||
3 | Lewis, Morgan | Veritas School | 20:16.45 | 3 | ||
4 | Edgemond, Amy | Foxcroft School | 20:33.89 | 4 | ||
5 | Russell, Ali | Wakefield School | 20:41.30 | -- | ||
6 | Pieri, Reilly | Walsingham Academy | 20:58.00 | 5 | ||
7 | Byler, Dara | Eastern Mennonite School | 20:59.56 | 6 | ||
8 | Oliver, Isabelle | Trinity School at Meadow View | 21:00.36 | 7 | ||
9 | Chen, Sierra | Trinity Christian School | 21:13.24 | 8 | ||
10 | Moore, Kaylee | Nansemond-Suffolk Academy | 21:16.44 | 9 | ||
11 | Mast, Sylvia | Eastern Mennonite School | 21:23.89 | 10 | ||
12 | Lucas, Geni | Seton School | 21:30.63 | 11 | ||
13 | Spring, Adrienne | North Cross | 21:35.95 | -- | ||
14 | Aungst, Becky | Peninsula Catholic | 21:41.40 | 12 | ||
15 | Robins, Anna | Hampton Roads Academy | 21:50.77 | -- | ||
16 | Guyant, Julia | Seton School | 21:57.71 | 13 | ||
17 | Lutz, Kate | Nansemond-Suffolk Academy | 21:59.69 | 14 | ||
18 | Franck, Elizabeth | Veritas School | 22:00.36 | 15 | ||
19 | Anderson, Kate | Wakefield School | 22:04.29 | -- | ||
20 | Patronzio, Molly | Highland School | 22:06.28 | 16 |