MileStat.com will be on-site with coverage on Tuesday evening at Panorama Farms for the Ragged Mountain Cup, which the 4 x 2 mile relay will be the first race of the season for all of the Central Virginia and Charlottesville area schools competing. The first race is at 5 PM.
Plenty of outstanding talent will be showcased at Panorma with some great cross country squads such as the VA #4 ranked Western Albemarle boys, VA #8 ranked Fork Union boys, and VA #10 ranked Louisa County boys. Fork Union had a dominant showing a year ago against a strong Western Albemarle squad with a victory of margin of nearly a full minute, but it looks to be the Warriors as the heavy favorites this year with their talented junior trio of Kyle Satterwhite, Tyler Stutzman, and James Howard-Smith. However, Fork Union with three sub 10 two milers in track back in Jeremy Haney, Patrick Hayes, and Darren Simpson as well as Louisa possessing a pair in Thomas Baker and Lawrence Minor should make it a competitive affair.
Haney & Ellis to duke it out again?
Top individuals will be battling each other possibly on different legs for the fastest split of the meet with the likes of VA #9 ranked Thomas Baker of Louisa, VA #11 ranked Kyle Satterwhite of Western Albemarle, private schools #1 ranked Austin Ellis of Covenant (pictured above, left), and private schools #3 ranked Jeremy Haney of Fork Union. Haney edged out Ellis (10:14) last year for the fastest split at 10:11 as the two battled on the opening leg last September.
Yeah...she can definitely run with the boys.
Among the girls, the big name will be Liz Barclay (pictured above center in the 2006 Cup) as Albemarle's star runner begins her junior year as the #3 ranked runner in Virginia. The Albemarle girls won last year's race with the top 2 splits in Rachel Rose (11:41) and Barclay (12:29), but will hard pressed to repeat on Tuesday with a solid Monticello squad. Barclay is only returnee from last year's winning relay (52:53), while Monticello returns three of their four from a team that finished just over a minute behind in second (53:57). Monticello will be led by junior Holly Rich, while seniors Hannah King and Erin Thorpe will also make them a formidable relay.