9/8 Invitational Results & Coverage

MileSplit Staff

 


Photo by Jon Fleming

Results posted so far from invitationals held on September 8th. Meet summaries and additional coverage (photo galleries & race videos) to be added from several of the weekend's major meets.

 

Some quick highlights from this past weekend:

At the Knights Crossing Invitational in Salem, two returning state cross country champions dueled it out to the win with 2011 Group AA state champ Carolyn Bethel of Hidden Valley able to chase down 2011 Group A state champ Hannah Rose (2nd, 18:33) of Wilson Memorial in the final 150 meters for an 18:26 victory on a warm day at Green Hill Park. Cave Spring junior and 4:49 miler Katie Fortner was third in 18:48. Blacksburg boys were almost at full strength (missing only Matthew Paiser) and easily outclassed the field by 67 points with three runners in the top 10: Nick Link (3rd, 16:09), Noah Combs (7th, 16:31), and Luke Phillips (9th, 16:37). Defending Group A state cross country champion Walker Mogen of Radford beat out the higher ranked Link as the top Virginia finisher in the race with a runner-up performance of 16:06. Morristown-West's Quintin McKinnish (15:45) won the boys race while his girls' teammates at the Tennessee school Morristown-West dominated the field in Salem. Meanwhile, the Hidden Valley program collectively had a great showing trading second and third place finishes with Group AAA squad Colonial Forge in the boys and girls' team standings.


Photo by Steven Pham

On the historically well-preserved Burke Lake Park course (roughly 3 miles), the Northern Region's best showed down early in the season at the Monroe Parker Invitational. VA #1 ranked runner Sophie Chase of Lake Braddock did start the race but dropped out as a precaution due to a minor injury that her coaches did not want to become a major one or setback. Her teammates did not panic with their top runner pulling out mid-way through the race as sophomore Hannah Christen seized posession of the lead en route to 17:40 victory with West Springfield's Carolina Alcorta trailing into the finish line chute six seconds later at 17:46. The MileSplit US top 25 nationally ranked Lake Braddock girls were still able to win the meet without their #1 runner finishing with a 25 point buffer over the Northwest Region's Battlefield (2nd, 108 pts). Meanwhile, Sean McGorty put down one of the faster times in recent history at Monroe Parker Invitational with a sub 15 minute performance of 14:50 to lead the Chantilly boys to runaway vicctory for the team title as well with their team score of 57 points putting them well ahead arguably one of the top 3 best teams currently in Group AAA in Battlefield High School, whom compiled a score of 122 points.The scary part is Chantilly can be better as their #5 runner on the day is their normal #2 runner in defending Group AAA 1600 meter indoor champion Logan Miller, who appears to be working himself still back into shape after missing much of the outdoor season.

There is little doubt right now that the Chantilly boys and McGorty look to be the best in Group AAA right now, but McGorty will still be hard pressed for that #1 overall spot in Virginia this fall regardless of classification by fellow returning Foot Locker finalist Thomas Madden of Skyline. Before Madden can challenge McGorty, he first has to take care of business in Group AA, which he did at least initially in his first race of the season by dealing a resounding defeat to two-time state track champion Patrick Joseph of Loudoun Country at the Judges Classic. In Winchester at the Kernstown Battlefield 5K course, Madden gapped Joseph (2nd, 16:36) by a whopping 41 seconds with his state leading 5K time of 15:55 to be the first Virginia runner under 16 minutes for 5000 meters this fall. His performance was just 3 seconds off his course and meet record in the 2010 Judges Classic.

A new school, surroundings, teammates, and coach for Molly Breidenbaugh in transferring from Group AAA's Hanover High School to private school's Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond has apparently been a smooth transition to success for an already successful high school career. She competed in her first race for Trinity at the Fork Union Invitational and was able to distance herself the field at FUMA's Hardy National 3 mile course in a winning time of 18:13. Former Central Region competitor for Breidenbaugh, Katherine Benfer of Mills Godwin came up in second place with a 18:30 effort. while the Cosby girls were able to edge out Atlee and Godwin for a Central Region sweep of the top three. Private school top ranked St. Catherine's girls finished fourth, while the defending private school boys state champions from Trinity ended up third despite second and third place finishes from Reider (15:28) and Mac (15:32) Strehler. The team battle ended up coming down to Western Albemarle and Atlee, who both had front runners as well in David Taylor (4th, 15:40) for Western and Nathaniel Hall for Atlee. The reigning Central Region champion Hall begin his season as a champion with the swiftest time on the day at 15:23 on the FUMA 3 mile course, but Taylor's Western Albemarle got the edge by a 12 point advantage for the 2011 Group AA state runners-up.

The Lafayette boys and Maggie Walker girls won as expected at the Newport News Invitational, but had a few unexpected results within their top 7's. Leading the Lafayette boys to the team title was not returning Region I champion Kurtis Steck, but his teammate Jason Menzies who broke 16 minutes for the first time in the 5K with the state's second fastest performance of the season at 15:58. Menzies and Steck (5th, 16:19) were broken up by Kellam teammates Billy Boros (2nd, 16:05) and David Gregory (3rd, 16:09) as well as another Eastern Region title contender in Nick Richardson (4th, 16:15) of Western Branch. Maggie Walker's Rachel Galton appears to be starting her season off not far from the top form, which placed in the top 5 at last year's state cross country championships in the Group AA race. Galton won at Newport New Park in the state's third fastest time of the season at 18:40 and 40 seconds ahead of her nearest finisher in Abby Motley (2nd, 19:20) of Kellam, who was able to finish ahead of last week's Chancellor Invite runner-up Carley Shannon (3rd, 19:27) of Bruton. Maggie Walker's #2 runner Daisy Banta will not be racing until mid-season coming off a stress fracture in her hip and her addition will be a boost to a team, which appears to be already experiencing a great boost from an influx of freshmen as three Maggie Walker ninth graders ran varsity and placed among the top 15 in Emma Blake (11th, 20:37), Celia Wilson (13th, 20:50), and Willa King (14th, 20:50) to break 21 minutes in their first high school races. 

 

 

 

Knights Crossing XC Invitational

On-Site Coverage (Race Videos & Photo Gallery)

Girls Highlights

Boys Highlights

Monroe Parker Invitational

On-Site Coverage (Photo Gallery)

 

Girls Highlights

Boys Highlights