Though XC is a team sport, it is also an individual sport that features battling it out to the line. Battling it out this weekend will be some of Virginia's best athletes who are all looking for a season pr and most importantly a trip out to San Diego for Foot Locker Nationals.
To make it to Nationals one must finish inside the top 10 individually in the championship race. A feat that is very tough to achieve considering you are battling with athletes from VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, TX, MS, AL, KY, and TN.
Leading the way for the VA Boys will be Karl Thiessen. The 3A two-time state champion will look to finish out his senior year with a bang. He didn't run well last year here but all season he has been putting race after race together in a big way. He is the only VA guy to not lose to another VA guy this season and will also be pushing the 15 minute barrier.
He will be joined by 5A runner-up Henrik Anderson, Price Owens who made it to Nationals last year, 6A runner-up Chase Osborne, and Grant Northcutt. All of whom posses the speed and endurance to make it to nationals. It will just take a valiant effort and great race to do so.
On the girls' side of things VA could actually win the race with Olivia Beckner out front. This course being very flat and fast should bode extremely well for her. She will need to run close to 17 minutes or under to do so and she is more than capable of doing that.
She will also be joined by Heather Holt who was a national finalist last year. Julia Ghiselli may be entered and if she was she would be a contender as well.
Entries have not been publicly posted so we are basing this preview off of information we already know. There very well could be some elite VA athletes entered that are not listed here.