The return of the MileStat.com Cross Country Invitational after a 5 year hiatus brings in VA #4 Osbourn Park girls and VA #5 Lake Braddock facing off for the first time this season in a 5K race with the state's top two Group AAA teams after 4-time state champs Midlothian, which will run on the same course less than 2 weeks for their district championships.
Those two teams also feature two of the state's fastest runners this fall in Ariel Karabinus of Osbourn Park and Liana Epstein of Lake Braddock. Karabinus broke the Panorama Farms course record last week at the Albemarle Invite in an 18:02 victory, while Epstein broke 18 minutes for the first time two weeks ago with a top 5 finish at the flrunners.com Invite. Add in Brooke Point's Katherine Walker (runner-up to Karabinus last week with a 18:13 5K) and you could see an entire top three sniffing at a sub 18 minute 5K performances.
The boys individual will be loaded with 7 of the top 15 ranked runners in the state including #7 Colin Mearns, #8 Chris Foley, #10 Grant Pollock, #12 Michael Bailey, #13 Kevin Bennert, #14 Jordan White, and #15 Drew Paisley. The course record of 15:21 held by Jason Witt could be under assault with more than a half dozen guys having ran well under 16 minutes on more difficult courses this season.
Both Mearns and Foley have individual national aspirations this fall to qualify for either Nike Cross Nationals and Foot Locker Nationals. If either were to break the course record held by Witt at 15:21, who was a top 10 finisher at NXN as a junior and just missed All-American honors at FLN as a senior, it would bolster their confidence heading into championship season.
There are many schools among the boys teams who are trying to establish or re-assert themselves in a final meet prior to the district meet. VA #10 ranked Mills Godwin boys are in the hunt for the Central Region title and will be able to compare times to their top competition Midlothian on the same course when Midlothian competes later at Pocahontas on their district course.
VA #7 ranked Lake Braddock boys ran some quick times down in Florida two weeks ago and have seen the Northern Region pecking order bounce around each of the past three weeks while not racing directly against any regional competition.
Riverbend started off the season strong in attempting to challenge the Northwest Region defending champs Mountain View, but recently have had to worry about other schools in their region stepping up including Stafford, Battlefield, and Colonial Forge.
Last year's Group AA state champions and NXN qualifiers Jamestown were written off at the start of the season as state meet podium contender as well as a contender to win their own district and region with the rise of Grafton, but with Grafton's team unhealthy the door is open for them to sneak back into first place.
Virtual Meets
High School Girls:
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High School Boys:
This Season | Last Season
