The Blacksburg girls have been the top program in Group AA over the past few years, but have always been stuck in the second spot when it came to looking state-wide in Virginia in comparison to the Midlothian program, which has won the last three Group AAA state cross country titles as well as qualified for Nike Team Nationals in 2006. The girls from Blacksburg may have just gotten over the hump this past weekend when they finished ahead of Midlothian in the invitational division at Maymont to become the first in-state team to defeat the Lady Trojans in quite sometime in cross country.
However, Blacksburg coach James DeMarco and his team know full well that Midlothian will have better days ahead this fall after a subpar major invitational opener. MileStat.com's Brandon Miles interviews the Blacksburg coach after a great weekend for not only the Blacksburg girls, but the Blacksburg boys as their male counterparts appear to be a squad which can make it onto the podium at Great Meadow this November.
MileStat.com: What expectations did you have for your girls coming into Maymont?
Coach DeMarco: We wanted to go out and compete. I told them I didn't want anyone saying they could have run harder after the meet, that they needed to leave it out on the course. It is rare for us to get the chance to run against the level of competition offered at Maymont without having to drive across multiple states. Having six of the top ten Southeast programs in the meet was a good opportunity to see where we were at.
MileStat.com: How did you feel they performed in the race?
Coach DeMarco: I thought we ran very tough and the girls gave everything they had. They had nothing left at the end.
MileStat.com: Do you feel like you have your top 7 finally figured out?
Coach DeMarco: Our top seven is probably what we have been running. We do have four girls that could jump into the top seven - one has yet to run (Michelle Kauffman) and the other two where injured (Sydney Sumner and Tazzy Kaiser) at the Blue Demon invite, and Kate Buss gets better every week. Sydney ran varsity at Blue Demon but her foot fell in a big hole and twisted it pretty bad. She just started to run again.
MileStat.com: Even though Midlothian did not exactly have a great day, were the Blacksburg girls excited to finally finish ahead of them in a cross country meet considering that Midlothian has been unbeaten against in-state competition for several years now?
Coach DeMarco: The Midlothian program has been the standard of excellence for Virginia girls high school running since I have been coaching. Our girls know their runners and know that the team to beat is Midlothian. We have beaten every program in Virginia but never even came close to Midlothian. They were surprise to learn they had beaten them - a little shocked actually. They already where making excuses for the "win" though - with Paige and Leia having bad days. I guess they know its a win, but its nicer to get the win when the other team is 100% and at their best. Midlo will be a very different team in the weeks to come and one that will compete for the win at NXN regionals.
MileStat.com: How realistic do you think the team's chances of qualifying for Nike Cross Nationals after their performance at Maymont?
Coach DeMarco: NXN - We wouldn't get very good odds in Vegas.
MileStat.com: In what areas do you think the girls team could get even better?
Coach DeMarco: Allison and Joanna are coming into their own and still have some time they will drop. The difference makers for us is Kathleen (5:10 1600) and Trinity (5:09). Both have had poor performances this season. Kathleen (sickness) does this every year and finishes the season very strong. Trinity is anemic and is working on correcting that. Both are excellent runner and have the ability to run with Allison. If that happens then we will be a team with a chance for an NXN birth. Leah and Hannah have been running very strong all season and if Kathleen and Trinity are running 100% we will have the best 5-6 runner out of the Maymont teams.
MileStat.com: How pleased were you with the boys team performance finishing 7th in such a competitive field?
Coach DeMarco: The boys team is a pretty big shock. We lost 4 of our 7 runners to graduation including the state champ. But we are a better team. At Maymont we ran well. Matthew continues to get stronger and showed he is a top ten guy at states. George had an uncharacteristically bad day but we had him on the bike and pool for a few days due to a cyst on his foot - so that effected him. Caman and Frank are running very well and gaining confidence. Brian lost a little ground the last half mile so it cost us. Our JV runners had a good day and two of them will move into varsity for the Metro Meet. The boys know they could be the best team we have had since 1999. I don't think people would have thought that heading into the season.
MileStat.com: Having brought your team to Maymont now the past few years, what do you think is the best race strategy to execute in performing well on this course?
Coach DeMarco: What I tell the team - Get off the line for the first 100 meters and then you can get into your pace. DON'T crush the first mile. The first mile will ruin more races than help. If you want to be 20th then you should be 30th at the mile. Most runners lose 20 seconds on the second mile so if you are not passing people your slowing down. After that it's up to how you are feeling. Set the race up right in the beginning and then we will see what happens. Don't think bad about the hill at the end. That's to our advantage.
MileStat.com: What did you think of this year's Maymont Festival compared to past years attending the meet?
Coach DeMarco: My younger kids where bummed about not getting a shirt. The finish line was the best this year with chip timing and made a big difference. Thought it was very well done (actually outstanding) and the most competitive Maymont yet.
Photos by Tom Hoerner
