Then it went 4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13.
The girls took 12 of the first 13 places to beat Poolesville, a performance that Coach Chad Young said “was a confidence builder in some ways.”
Or, perhaps in many ways.
The boys’ cross country team didn’t fare as well, losing to Poolesville, which took the top three spots.
In the girls’ race, senior Ava Farrell won in 19 minutes, 53 seconds, followed by junior Laura Nakasaka in 20:01. Farrell rebounded from the Whitman meet last week in which she injured her foot. “She had no foot trouble at this race and she finished where she usually finishes – in first,” Young said.
The rest of the varsity squad (top seven finishers) were in order freshmen Nora McUmber and Kat McNeill; senior Hallie Jester; junior Caroline Leuba; and sophomore Angie Peterson. In all, 10 girls finished the three-mile course in less than 22 minutes.
“This was the fastest meet we’ve had this year by far,” said Young. “This meet helped us remember that most of the teams out there aren’t going to beat us, even if they have a good day. Now we have to make sure we mentally prepare ourselves for the tough part of the season ahead.”
Young said many runners did well in the meet, mentioning Peterson (below, No. 352) as a good example. Last year, as a freshman, she ran 24:04; on Tuesday her time was 21:18.
“She worked hard over the summer, and worked hard last year as a freshman,” Young said. “She has done a great job in figuring things out, and she’s become a leader on the team, even as a sophomore.”
In the boys’ race, the top finishers were sophomore Peter Horton and junior Nick McGreivy, who finished 4-5 overall. Sophomore Nolan Ebner was the third B-CC finisher (eighth overall), followed by senior Aidan Hennessey, sophomore Matt Boden, freshman Sam Baker, and junior Jacob Bennett.
With two of B-CC’s top boy runners sidelined by injuries, Young said there was opportunity for others to make the varsity squad. “The top guys have to break up the pack to give us a chance to win, and the guys who are normally 7-8-9 are now on varsity team and have to outrun the varsity runners on the other team,” Young said.
“They have to be less worried about making a PR, or the time they run, and be more worried about who they are running next to.”
Young praised Horton and McGreivy for again leading the team, and he said the others also competed well. Many set personal records. One was Boden, who finished in 18:33, nearly two minutes faster than his time a week before. Another was Bennett (right, No. 821), who ran track for the first time last year. He finished in 19:13, a PR by nearly three minutes.
“He’s a naturally talented runner and with a little more racing experience he will see a lot of improvement,” Young said of Bennett. “This could be a breakout race for him.”
At the end of the meet, the team’s juniors led a ceremony to honor the seniors on the squad.
For the girls, the seniors are: Claire Cohen, Susannah Derr, Ava Farrell, Claire Galasso, Lilly Herrick-Reynolds, Hallie Jester, Alison Thomas, and Molly Zinkgraf.
For the boys: Brad Connell; Ethan Ebinger, Aidan Hennessey, Alessandro Lallas, and Schuyler Parsonnet.
The next meet will be Saturday at the Bull Run Invitational Cross Country Meet at Hereford High School in rural northern Baltimore County. The course is noted as one of the most challenging cross country courses around, with hills, twists, turns, and a ravine called “The Dip.”
The race is divided into competitions according to school size and team ability. B-CC girls will compete in the elite race; the boys will run in the “large school” race. The day also features junior varsity runs. All B-CC runners can compete.
“We’ll get a real taste of the competition in the state and see how we stack up,” Young said.
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