Photo by Robert Weatherly
Returning Foot Locker finalist and two-time Group AA state cross country champion Griff Graves of Abingdon opened up his 2007 cross country season 15 seconds faster than last year at the Run Fer Da Hills Invitational in Bristol, Tennessee. On the challenging 5K course at South Holston Dam, Graves broke 16 minutes in 15:57 for the win as he was 40 seconds ahead of one of the top returning Group A runners in Jakob Maidens of Lebanon (16:38). A strong showing up front in the Tennessee invite for the two Virginian harriers. With three runners in the top ten places, the Jefferson Forest boys won the team title with 58 points as they finished ahead of former Region III rival and now Region IV squad Christiansburg (2nd, 75 points). Top finishers for the Cavaliers were Zach Smith (5th, 17:19), Robert Deis (6th, 17:20), and Matthew Kadak (7th, 17:22) as only three seconds separated their top pack. Christiansburg was led by a third place run of 17:01 by Caleb Hughes.
Sabrina Hall of Pulaski dominated the girls race with a 19:47 5K victory as she well distanced herself from individual runner-up Maggie Graham of Marion (20:39), but a solid Tennessee squad in University High was a clear winner over Hall's Pulaski County girls with a team score of 59 points. Pulaski County, ranked #3 in AA, pulled in second place as a team with 101 points as they were just ahead of #4 AA ranked Jefferson Forest (3rd, 103 pts) with two points separating two squads looking to make it on the podium this year.