Northern Region Championships 2007

Photos taken by Ted Plunkett from the 2007 Northern Regions Championships held at Burke Lake Park in Burke VA on Thursday, 01 November.

  Lake Braddock is the defending regional team champion and will be in the favorite's role once again. The Bruins had a solid, if not overwhelming performance, in winning the Patriot District title last Wednesday by 11 points with their first place team total of 48 points. Oakton, the regional winners in 2004 and 2005, have hopes of their third regional title in four years and appear to have the most serious chance of upending Lake Braddock. Individually, the odds on favorite will be junior Lia DiValentin (pictured right by Ted Plunkett) of Chantilly. DiValentin comes into the regional meet with her time from the district meet 23 seconds faster than the next fastest competitor after winning the Concorde title last week in a very good time of 17:38.

Photo by Ted Plunkett     Burke Lake Park will once again be the site of the Northern Region girls and boys cross country championships this Thursday, with the girls race to begin at 3:15 p.m. followed by the boys race approximately one half hour later.   Although the course has undergone some slight changes between the 2.2 and 2.6 mile marks this season, it will still be basically the same course, relevant to distance and times, as it has been since the course was lengthened to 2.98 miles way back in 1974.   Oakton and Jefferson have gone 1-2 in the team scoring for the last four years with Jefferson the regional champs in 2003 and 2004 and Oakton claiming the team title in 2005 and 2006.   This year looks to be no different as both the Cougars and Colonials once again are fielding the strongest teams in the region and should make it five years in a row with Oakton and/or Jefferson in either first or second place.