#8 Thomas Jefferson S&T
Though they suffered quite the upset at their conference meet, TJ is still very scary. They are one of the five best teams in the state this year on the boys' side and one of the two best teams in 5A. They have racked up the most impressive collection so far this season of team titles that includes the MileStat.com XC Invitational and the Great Meadow Invitational. Led by Saurav Velleleth they have consistency, talent, and a small spread between their first and fifth. They should be the 5A team that finishes their top five first at states.
#7 Lake Braddock Boys
This is a big jump from 8th to 7th considering Lake Braddock has really handled their business this season. They finished just outside of the top two last year at NXR and look to amend that this year in a big way. As the leaders in 6A they also look to repeat as team champions at states on Friday the 13th. They are led by both Colin Schaefer and Conor Lyons who know how to win and work together. The scariest thing about this Bruins squad is the fact that last year their entire team pr'd at states and then again at NXR... that is scary.
#6 Maggie Walker Girls
A team that is ranked #3 in the state and that has the best shot at sweeping states should be considered very frightening. These Green Dragons shut the door on Rachel McArthur and Patriot at the RVA Relays and look to do that to a whole lot of others this post-season. They are led by Emma Call but also have the defending 2A State Champion Khloe Pointer to help share the load. If you are afraid of the dark, Dragons, or really really talented teams then Maggie Walker could be the scariest in the state.
#5 Stone Bridge Boys
Sometimes the quiet ones are the scariest ones. They entered the season strong but have constantly and quietly been pushing further and further ahead. This culminated on October 17th when they ran toe-to-toe with Drew Hunter and Loudoun Valley at Third Battle to force a tie-breaker for the team title. They are VA #2 for teams and #1 for 5A teams. They have put in a lot of work and used the invitationals wisely to build confidence and training.
If you are not afraid of them then you are mistaken. Led by Jackson Morton they bring four sub-16 guys to the table which is double the amount any other team in the state has. They are talented and deep and ready for Friday the 13th to roll around.
#4 Lake Braddock Girls
This team could be the best team in the state for 3200 and is definitely the best team in the state for 1500 thanks to Kate Murphy. Murphy last outdoor season ran a blazing 4:16 for 1500m to win the Pan Am title both internationally and for the US. When you have someone like that on your team you automatically get on the "scary" list.
Though Lake Braddock hasn't shown their true colors quite yet this season, we have seen glimpses of nearly the full squad. But just like last year, we can expect the entire line-up to pr at states and then again at NXR. Given that prediction they become a whole lot scarier.
They are handedly the best team in the state at 3 Miles and it isn't even close. If you take into consideration the courses that they have run on too then they also should rank highly nationally as well. This team is well rounded and led by a national super-star that fears no one. These Bruins have a mean game face and a scary good track record when it comes to the post-season.