It is time for one of the biggest meets in the state this year. This weekend we get to see how these teams stack up against each other and see who is ready for some real XC races. In total there are over 3,600 athletes from 133 teams entered.
Before the meet though, check out these helpful links below.
- Live Results
- Virtual Meet: Boys - Girls
- Fastest Times Ever @ Oatlands: Boys - Girls
- State Leaderboard: Boys - Girls
- Meet Page
Each year this event, even before it was a state meet preview, drew some of the best talent from all across the state to this one meet. This year will be no different where athletes from all corners of the state and different classifications will square off on one of the state's most difficult courses.
Up first will be the girls' varsity race.
Team wise in this race we will see basically all of the top contenders in the state including James W. Robinson, Blacksburg, Briar Woods, Loudoun Valley, and so many more. On paper, we'd give the slight edge to Robinson but Blacksburg could be scary tough this season.
Individually there are nine girls entered under 18 minutes with Samantha Nitzsche (William Monroe) the favorite solely on time. The Robinson girls, especially Petra Gruendel will provide great competition.
Following them will be the boys' varsity race.
In this race Albemarle is the slight favorite over Blacksburg who is coming off of a big meet out in Kentucky. One team you should look out for here is Jamestown who looked very quick at RVA Relays and could have something special planned for this weekend. Especially considering the size of the meet and how a low score can help you so much.
Following that hint, one of the individuals to watch is Jamestown's Jonathan Grimm. He is a part of the group of five boys who we think has a serious shot at winning this race. The others are Rivers Matthews (Blacksburg), Michael Tafe (Loudoun County), Preston Spangler (Patriot), and Gavin Daniels (Gainesville). We are serious that any one of these guys could be the favorite depending on how you think the race goes.
The races within the race will be fun here too. Grimm, Tafe, and Matthews are all fighting to ultimately win the Class 4 race here in November while Spangler and Daniels will battle it out in Class 6.
One thing we have learned though is that it is sometimes harder to win this meet that states and sometimes the race is won by someone who has never ever ran cross country and stops to tie their shoes twice... a flash back to when Weini Kelati made her debut.
This meet is a special one and we are excited to be on-site providing photo and video coverage of all the action this weekend.