JV Boys Shatter Personal Records at Carlisle Invitational

The Loudoun Valley Cross Country team traveled nearly 2 hours north, crossing state lines, to the Carlisle Invitational, giving them plenty of time to think. Certainly, some reflected on the challenging Oatlands course and the unfavorable heat and humidity of Great Meadow. Others envisioned how this day would unfold as they planned to chase elusive personal records, break through time barriers, and earn prestigious medals and awards.

The Vikings didn't wait long to make their visions a reality. With a new, unfamiliar course before them, the Viking's JV squads ran fearlessly and confidently through the varying terrain of Carlisle High School. Three foot-deep water crossings did not stop the JV members from setting and unprecedented 18 all-time personal records and an additional 6 season-bests.

Kicking things off for the boys was a the 9th grade JV race featuring Garrett Boldin, Peyton Jennings-Swett, Ethan Sanborn, Cade Schoeny, Tim Sweeney, and Nicholas Thomas.

Jennings-Swett and Boldin wasted no time in establishing themselves as the leaders of the freshman group, working their way through the first mile in in 6:19 and 6:21, respectively, as they settled into paces nearly two minutes faster than their previous bests of 21:23 and 21:25. Schoeny, Sanborn, and Sweeney were in hot pursuit only a few seconds back of the leading duo. A little farther back, Nicholas Thomas was pushing his way through an 8:23 first mile, well under his 29-minute PR pace.

With the blazing first mile behind them, the 6 freshmen held on through the water crossings and over the hills and dales of the final miles. First to crest the final hill was Peyton Jennings-Swett, who unleashed a furious finishing kick around the final bend and down the hills of the last 200m. Jennings-Swett eyed the finish clock as he sped toward the chute, dipping across the line in a 1:40 personal best of 19:42. Boldin followed Jennings-Swett's lead, literally, as he cruised his way around his competition and into the final straightaway, ultimately dashing across the finish line in 19:51, a personal best by 90s.

Schoeny, Sanborn, and Sweeney, pulled each other through the middle miles, working as a pack, and eventually finishing within in a span of only 8 seconds. Schoeny led the threesome, finishing in 20:27, a best by over 30 seconds. Sanborn was next through the chute in a time of 20:28, taking a staggering 4 minutes off of his previous best, while Sweeney eclipsed his best by 80 seconds as he etched his time of 2:35 into the results.

Sanborn's remarkable 4-minute improvement was not to go unchallenged. Nicholas Thomas, who had finished his previous four races in times ranging from 29:27-31:06, held onto his early pacing efforts, scoring a new best time of 25:49, a nearly 4 minute personal best.

With one race in the books and 6 personal records set, the upperclassmen JV boys had a lot to live up to in the following race. With expectations on their shoulders, the boys toed the line eagerly anticipating the gun and the excitement of the opening strides. With a blast of the gun, the boys took off at daring paces.

Leading the way was Ty Blair who had established himself as a potential sub-18 minute racer with his previous best of 18:46. With an opening mile of 5:28, Blair left little to the imagination for his goals. Although slowing slightly through the middle mile, passing the two-mile mark in 11:50, Blair pushed through the final third of the race, pacing several competitors in the final 400m to earn a medal with his 13th place finish. More impressively, Blair broke the 18-minute barrier for the first time, clocking an official result of 17:57.

"The 18-minute barrier is one that is special to me," Coach Shirk remarked, "because it marks the time in my own career when I truly became serious about running. The button handed out for the 'Sub-18' minute mark has times of 17, 16, and 15, in the background because those are the times that a sub-18 runners should start envisioning and working toward."

Blair was quickly joined by throngs of other personal bests as 10 of his teammates soon joined him. Jorge Cruz took 6 seconds from his previous best with his 23:45. Nathaniel Hertzberg established an official PR, besting the time he previous set on a short course with his 20:07. Evan Kemelhar took 13 seconds off of his previous best in 19:34, while Jack McClelland continued his impressive season with a time of 20:56, nearly 3 minutes faster than his previous seasons' best.

Connor Ney dipped under 19 minutes for the first time with a time of 18:52. AJ Loving set his second PR of the season with a time of 21:16, and Jackson Nicodemus dropped into the "teens" for the first time with a time of 19:41, bettering the time of 20:18 set last season. Chase Robinson knocked nearly 4 minutes off of his first race's time as he finished in 23:56.

Braden Sheehan continued his streak with his 3rd consecutive personal record. Sheehan opened is season with a 21:15 before dropping his bests to 21:12, 20:03, and finally a 19:00 at Carlisle.

The Vikings will compete again on October 5th in two locations: Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary, North Carolina, and the Judges Classic Invitational in Kernstown, Virginia.