Prep runners flock to two invitationals

Even though it drew nearly 2,300 participants from 12 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Army X-Country Festival at Maymont Park was only the second largest high school cross country event going on in Virginia this past weekend.

The Oatlands Invitational at Oatlands Plantation in Leesburg had more than 3,000 finishers.

Megan Moye of Cosby ran an 18:54 and finished seventh in the "A" race at Oatlands. The Titans girls were seventh among the teams. Cosby's Evan Niciphor was 13th in the boys "A" run with a time of 16:32. The Titans were 28th.

More Central Region and Central Virginia teams participated at the Maymont Festival.

The Invitational races featured the premier runners. Atlee graduate Ben DeJarnette won last year's boys race. The top local finisher this year was James River's Ted Richardson. He covered the 5K distance in 15:46 and placed sixth. Mills Godwin's Grant Pollock (16:17) was 13th. James River was the highest finishing team at No. 13.

In the girls invitational, Courtney Dobbs (18:42) of Deep Run wound up sixth and teammate Madalyn Nuckols (18:53) was ninth. Another Wildcat, Erica Dobbs, was 13th at 19:00. Deep Run was ninth in the team standings.

Clarissa Schick led Maggie Walker GS to fourth place in the team standings by running 18:56 (11th). Lee-Davis freshman Bonny Turnage was 12th at 18:58. Lee-Davis was eighth among the teams.

The Maggie Walker boys won the Coastal Division team title by 20 points (82-102) over Douglas Freeman. Lafayette of Williamsburg (135), Deep Run (148) and Trinity Episcopal (150) rounded out the top five.

Cody Snyder (16:25) of Lee-Davis won the Coastal race. He was followed by Atlee's Andrew Catanese (16:29); Will McPherson (16:43) of Douglas Freeman; Cabell Willis (16:49) of Collegiate; Marc Breidenbaugh (16:50) of Maggie Walker; Cody Talmadge (16:50) of MW; Silas Frantz (16:53) of DF; and Daniel Novak (17:09) of Deep Run.

Douglas Freeman was second among the girls in the Coastal. Ann Gordon Mickel (21:21) produced the Rebels' best time. She was 10th.

St. Catherine's won the girls private schools division with 49 points. Eighth-grader Gracie Cuevas paced the Saints with a fourth-place finish (20:38). Mamie Robertson (fifth in 20:41) and Ali Doswell (sixth in 20:51) also finished in the top 10.

Trinity Episcopal's Hannah Leiberman claimed first in 19:38. Anna Cole of St. Gertrude placed seventh with 20:52. - Arthur Utley