Annandale takes team races
Blacksburg, VA -— DaWit Legesse has made a name for himself in Virginia High School Track and Cross Country. However, in Cross Country it is usually for finishing in 2nd place. Last week at OctoberFest, Legesse could taste victory only to have Chantilly's Brad Siragusa pass him in the last 100 meters. This week, Legesse the 7th ranked AAA runner would not be denied his first victory in a High School Cross Country Invitational as he took the top prize in 15:38.34. At the first mile it was a two man race as Kellam's Billy Garland let the leaders go. Legesse and Kellam's Mitch Cooper (2nd-16:07.34) would go through the first mile in 5:01. After the first mile, it was all Legesse. Legesse said, "Usually I think of the runner in front of me while I am racing, but today I didn't know what to think. All I could think of was grass, grass, and more grass." Legesse was referring to the all grass course at Virginia Tech. The course is very wide for Cross Country races, and the grass is cut short to be made fast. He called it a "great course". Kellam's 4th place Garland had different thought. Garland added, " Man this was a tough course. We are from the beach area and we never see these types of hills. You are going up and down all of the time. Usually I get an elite performance, but today I just couldn't go any more at the end." I suspect it may have been a combination of the course and the 8 hour bus ride, getting lost, and having very little sleep.AA's Will Frye of Pulaski seemed very rested with only a 35 minute ride to the course. Frye the number 8th ranked AA runner would nip Garland at the finish line to take 3rd as he closed a 30 meter difference over the last few hundred meters.
Kellam's Tara Connor outlasted Annandale's Hannah Tubb as Connor crossed the finish line in 19:30.46. Tubb would take 2nd in 19:47.28. Connor was all smiles after the race as she raced to a 3 mile personal best. Kellam located in Virginia Beach is a part of the Beach District and is called the Knights. Connor who is very courteous and kind seems to have a little fight in her as well. I bet she had a good night's sleep. Pulaski County's Freshman Sabrina Hall surprised the varsity girls with her unexpected 3rd place finish with a time of 19:50.04. Only her coach, Jamie McCarty, was not surprised. McCarty added, " This girl (Sabrina) didn't even run over the summer except for one road race at the end of outdoor track. She is only getting better." AA better watch out because if she gets any better there will be a medal dangling from her neck at The Plains.
The highlight of the day was in the Junior Varsity girl's race, and watching "The Machine" as I heard one coach call 8th grader Allison Homer of Blacksburg. Homer won the junior varsity girl's race by over 2 ½ minutes as she ran the first mile in 6:02 and just set it on cruise like a homing pigeon. It would have been interesting to see her race the varsity ladies. Is this AA's Aurora Scott? Homer would be a cinch to medal this year if she could race varsity.