MileStat.com will be visiting various schools in Northern Virginia this week in the second round of pre-season team practices that we will be touring this month. We hope that you all are enjoy bringing you these visits as we show you how many of the top programs and individuals in the state train as well as how each program can does thing differently yet all be successful. Each visit also includes Interviews with the head coaches providing insight on their team and outlook for the upcoming season and also getting to know the top individual runners and leaders on these squads.
On Tuesday, we will be visiting the West Potomac boys and girls teams which begin a new chapter of the program with longtime coach Don Beeby retiring after getting both teams over the hump last year and qualifying the boys and girls to the state meet through the always competitive Northern Region Meet. Former Robert E. Lee runner Jenn Dietz takes over the head position with a very deep boys squad, which she was instrumental in developing during the past track seasons as well as a girls squad looking to build around their two key returnees from their 9:22 4x800 in Sarah Jane Underwood and Dale Lescher with four others who ran at least 5:35 or faster for 1600 meters this past spring.
The West Potomac boys have three sub 10 minute 3200 guys in Brady Corum (9:42), Mark Hanak (9:52 - pictured left by Ted Plunkett), and Ben Alexio (9:54) as well as a 4:35 1600 performer as a freshmen in Marc Lotterie and two more sub 4:40 runners in Khoki Bernier and Corey Rosenberg.
On Thursday, MileStat.com will be checking out the Colonial Forge boys and girls squads who had one of more impressive track seasons with their returnees than almost any program in the state with their shear depth. The Colonial Forge girls have an entire top seven who ran under 12 minutes for 3200 meters in the recent 2010 outdoor season with Hannah Somers (11:28), Shaina Manuel (11:28), Jenna Walker (11:43), Alyssa Devane (11:46), Lauren Benoit (11:53), Colleen Wade (11:53), Mackenzie McDonald (11:54), and Sara Myers (11:58).
The Colonial Forge boys definitely expect to show much better than their 13th place finish at last year's state cross country meet as the only team in the state with four runners back who have ran under 9:50 for 3200 meters in David Pennesi (9:32 - pictured left by Frank Locascio), Jordanis Lozier (9:39), Brian O'Loughlin (9:40), and David Klimek (9:49). The Eagles are guided by two young coaches and two of their program's all-time greats in 2003 graduates Michael Porter and Sean Leyh. Colonial Forge is capable of having two teams on the podium this November at Great Meadow with the boys as serious contenders for the state title.
MileStat.com will be visiting various schools in Northern Virginia this week in the second round of pre-season team practices that we will be touring this month. We hope that you all are enjoy bringing you these visits as we show you how many of the top programs and individuals in the state train as well as how each program can does thing differently yet all be successful. Each visit also includes Interviews with the head coaches providing insight on their team and outlook for the upcoming season and also getting to know the top individual runners and leaders on these squads.
On Tuesday, we will be visiting the West Potomac boys and girls teams which begin a new chapter of the program with longtime coach Don Beeby retiring after getting both teams over the hump last year and qualifying the boys and girls to the state meet through the always competitive Northern Region Meet. Former Robert E. Lee runner Jenn Dietz takes over the head position with a very deep boys squad, which she was instrumental in developing during the past track seasons as well as a girls squad looking to build around their two key returnees from their 9:22 4x800 in Sarah Jane Underwood and Dale Lescher with four others who ran at least 5:35 or faster for 1600 meters this past spring.