W&M Invite Results: Varsity A Boys - Varsity A Girls - Varsity B Boys - Varsity B Girls - Varsity C Boys - Varsity C Girls - JV Boys - JV Girls
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W&M Invite Photo Gallery: Varsity A Boys (318 pics) - Varsity A Girls (366 pics) - Varsity B Boys (241 pics) - Varsity B Girls (274 pics) - Varsity C Boys (230 pics) - Varsity C Girls (180 pics) - JV Boys (292 pics) -JV Girls (192 pics)
W&M Invite Race Videos: Varsity A Boys - Varsity A Girls - Varsity B Boys - Varsity B Girls - Varsity C Boys - Varsity C Girls - JV Boys - JV Girls
W&M Invite Video Interviews: Johns Ross - Octavia Rinehardt - Barbara Strehler
Photos & videos from ALL 8 races on the way!
After a pleasant week of training for many Virginians with cooler temperatures, the humid weather decided to reappear on Saturday for the William & Mary Invitational to affect times. However, the humidity did not stop Tallwood's Octavia Rinehardt, Potomac School's John Ross, and Trinity's Barbara Strehler from dominating individual performances. All three were relatively unknowns in comparison to some of the more well known top returning runners, but have quickly emerged this fall to be just as good as the best of them. Meanwhile, the Jamestown boys survived a self-induced scare with the inability to differentiate yellow jerseys.
With the Maryland schools present, a showdown between Rinehardt and Strehler was not allowed to happen due to sanctioning rules with Maryland schools competing against category 3 private schools. With Strehler forced to be bumped down to the "C" race, the lack of head to head competition did not stop the top two ranked runners coming into the meet from racing for the fastest time of the meet. Rinehardt took that honor with a 18:33 victory in the "A" race as she took command before the halfway point for 24 second win.
Two hours later in the final race of the day at 12:30 PM, Strehler competed in the varsity C division and had only herself and Rinehardt's time earlier to push her for another invitational win in 18:44 on the 3.05 mile course as the next finisher was over 20 minutes in a runway victory. Rinehardt set a high standard for Strehler to go after as the two performances this week for the Tallwood senior in a 18:32 5K on Wednesday and 18:33 win at William & Mary, have to start to draw her some consideration as a possible AAA state title contender.
Meanwhile, top ranked private school runner Johns Ross had a smaller margin of victory with two seconds separating him from Williamsburg hometown star Andrew Colley of Jamestown (2nd, 15:24), but was never seriously challenged by Colley or others after making an aggressive move to breakway after the first mile. Ross definitely has high hopes of possibly California dreamin' for Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego after a strong start to his fall cross country season. Meanwhile, Colley is a junior and has another year to make a run while also has NTN hopes to consider with his formidable Jamestown squad.
The sea of yellow jerseys finishing high up in the varsity A race had Jamestown coach Howard Townsend concerned for a bit that his team had been upset as the highly favored NTN Southeast #3 ranked squad, but it turned out to be a mix of Ocean Lakes and James Robinson runners. If the two teams combined, they could give Jamestown a run, but as two separate teams were second (Ocean Lakes, 2nd, 138 pts) and third (James Robinson, 3rd, 142 pts) to the Eagles. Jamestown had one runner drop out in Graham Schlickenmyer, but still managed to have two up front under 16 minutes in the top five with runner-up Colley and John Holt (5th, 15:52) as well as two others under 16:50 and among the top 30 finishers in Colin Mearns (19th, 16:25) and Russell Hornsby (29th, 16:47).
Ocean Lakes and James Robinson had strong showings nonetheless despite the false alarm for Coach Townsend. Coach Mike Nestor's Ocean Lakes boys were hanging tough with the AA title contenders through four led by sophomore Drew Paisley nearly under 16 minutes in seventh place at 16:03, while their fourth runner in Conor Doan (28th, 16:42) actually beat Jamestown's fourth. However, Jamestown gapped Ocean Lakes in the fifth spot. James Robinson's strength was somewhat the opposite as it was more their back pack and less front running that put them in the six runners under 17:30.
Note: Waiting on verification of varsity A girls team results before completing meet summary as results sent in to post online were different than corrected results at the meet in determining the team champions between Western Branch and C. Milton Wright.