Lady Vikings take 2nd at Judges Classic, Ty Blair 3rd in boys race
9.30.23 Kernstown, VA
The Loudoun Valley Vikings traveled "over the mountain" this weekend to take on 28 teams from Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley at the Judges Classic Invitational on the challenging hills of the Kernstown Battlefield. Having selected the meet specifically for its challenging layout, the coaches hoped that the long grinding hills coupled with rolling terrain, sharp climbs, and long quiet stretches, would elevate the team's mental toughness and sharpen their racing prowess. As the Lady Vikings pushed to the course's highest point in the first two minutes of the race, they made it clear that their level mental toughness was no longer a question.
With their racing goals clearly evident in the opening moments, a train of 7 yellow singlets made its presence in the front pack of racers through the first hilly loop of the course. Missing last week's Performer of the Week, Ella Peterson, the role of the team's #1 runner was left as a question mark leading into the race, but freshman Harper Bartlett, who ran through the first mile in
approximately 15th place, bravely placed herself into that role. Behind Bartlett, fellow freshman Noelle Cates was running as a fantastic second runner about 5 places back. Ella Phelps and Eryn Lackey packed closely together as the team's #3 and 4 scorers in approximately 25th and 28th places, while Kate Verry paced as the team's #5 about 10 places back.
Through the midway point, the team stood in 3rd place behind James Wood and Tuscarora, but began a tremendous surge uphill toward the second mile marker and into the quiet and secluded 3rd mile loop. Unseen by spectators, the team brilliantly used the flat and downhill sections to claw through the ranks.
When the team finally emerged at the top of the final rollercoaster hills and launched into their final sprints, Bartlett was now holding 11th place with Cates close behind in 13th, each having passed 4 or 5 opponents and knocking valuable points from their team's score. Bartlett and Cates ran times of 20:20 and 20:33, respectively. The most impressive move, however, may have come from Eryn Lackey, now running in the #3 position for the team after passing at least 10 runners in her final half mile to place 17th in a time of 20:51. Phelps maintained her placing to finish in 30th in 21:20, while Kate Verry ran in a strong #5 position(35th in 21:37) with Mayleen Hyett close behind as the meet's best #6(40th, 21:53). Madeline Platt nailed down the final team placing as one of the best #7 runners in the meet in 60th place with a time of 23:02.
With all 7 girls through the finish chute, it was now a waiting game as the timing company tallied the scores. After a long wait, the final team standings showed a narrow loss to James Wood High School, 100 to 103, with the Vikings taking 2nd overall in the 28-team race.
With the girls' race in the books, the varsity boys stepped to the starting line awaiting the blast of the cannon. Hampered by a late withdrawal of the team's #2 runner, Max Panica, due to a minor ankle injury, and sudden sickness of #5 runner Baylor Bartlett, who toughed out the race, the team would rely on its' depth to score well in a very competitive field.
Ty Blair was up for the challenge. Individually, the race included several runners who may later vie for the individual state crown, including Ethan Pratt-Perez of James Wood, Tarek Benlamkadden of Broad Run, and Will Pardue of John Handley. Blair ran within this pack of four throughout more that two miles into the race before Ethan Pratt Perez began to open a gap on the the other three.
Blair trailed only slightly, ultimately finishing 3rd overall behind Belamkaddem (who won with a final 100m kick) and Perez who finished with times of 15:48 and 15:51. Blair's time of 16:04 ranks as the 7th best performer in Judges Classic history, a testament of the quality of Blair's race as well as the level of difficulty of the Kernstown course.
With their #1 runner tallied, boys team pulled together to finish 9th in the team standings. Bradley Bernard ran a strong race to finish in 24th place in 17:39. Jordan Cates, usually the team's #6 runner, stepped up amidst the team's difficulties to cross the line as the 3rd Viking in a time of 18:25, only 7 seconds from his all-time PR, in 67th place. Ten seconds later, Julian Israel finished in a time of 18:35.
Bartlett, who battled stomach sickness just prior to the start of the race, still finished as the team's #5 runner, completing the course in 18:43. Tim Sweeney rounded out the varsity team with his time of 19:03 to finish 95th in the field of 176 runners.
As a team, the Viking's finished 9th of the 28 teams entered.
In JV action, it was Lucy Popp who once again led the way for the Viking's with another fantastic performance. Popp paced herself cautiously through the first half, passing the first mile in approximately 5th place before moving up steadily in latter portions of the race. Popp ultimately finished in 2nd place in a time of 22:55.
Behind Popp, Rowan Haws put together an impressive performance on the Kernstown hills. Haws placed 21st in the field of 122 runners with a time of 24:14. Francis King, Acadia Kincaid, and Mirren Boswell completed the scoring 5 for the team. As a team, the JV girls finished 5th overall out of 13 complete teams (including Millbrook's varsity squad, whom Valley beat!).
While personal records were tough to come by in the first three races of the day (no one PRed in the first 3 races), the JV boys set out to prove that it can be done. Despite the challenges of the course, the JV boys ran superbly to place 4th of 22 complete teams (and 6 incomplete teams).
Leading the way for the boys was William Liu who immediately jumped to the #1 position for the team on the initial uphill climb. Liu eventually finished 15th overall out of the massive 365 finishers in the race. Liu's time of 19:17 is his second fastest ever.
Behind Liu, Owen Lantow produced a fantastic performance of his own, finishing in 19:33, just 10 seconds away from his all-time best. Lantow finished in 20th place. Only a step behind Lantow, Kyle Bratrud ran his finest race of the season, finishing 21st and missing his PR by only 2 seconds.
Behind Liu, Lantow, and Bratrud, it was freshman Sawyer Clark and junior Garrett Boldin who wrapped up the scoring for the team with their 29th and 45th places in times of 19:50 and 20:10, respectively.
Although the scoring was finished, the great times were not. Soren Ogelman finished with a time of 20:33, a personal best by 25 seconds, to take 83rd place. Shortly later, Waylee Hyett and Josh Kuhni finished in times of 20:51 and 20:54, both personal records. Kuhni improved his previous best by 5 seconds, while Hyett sliced 7 seconds from his previous time.
Freshman Jack Mills continued his path of improvement this season. Mills took another 32 seconds from his previous best time of 22:47 to cross the line in 22:15. Mills started the season on the comparatively easy Woodgrove course in a time of 23:02.
Other personal bests for Valley were run by Will Theis in 25:03 ( a drop of 88 seconds!) and Jonathan Summers who completed his first race in 30:48.
