Girls’ Cross Country Preview — Area Teams Face Tough Regional

Posted: September 2, 2014
By ROBERT STOCKS
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — It’s not difficult to see just how tough qualifying for the Virginia High School League 4A state cross country meet can be when you consider only four area girls finished in the top 50 in the state meet at Great Meadow last season.

Millbrook’s Nadia Dahimene led the way among area runners, placing 12th with a time of 19 minutes, 16 seconds at the 4A state meet, and Handley senior Ashden Personius also earned all-state honors by taking 14th in 19:22.

Other than Dahimene and Personius, only James Wood’s Sophia Dorsey (25th, 19:55) and Millbrook’s Hannah Croyle (27th, 19:59) finished in the top 50.

One reason why the 4A state meet was so challenging is that four of the top five teams in the state — Jefferson Forest (state champ), E.C. Glass (state runner-up), Loudoun County (fourth) and Woodgrove (fifth) — were the top four teams from the 4A North Region.

So last year’s regional race was certainly no walk in the park.

Millbrook placed seventh in the 4A North Region last season, finishing 38 points behind Fluvanna for the sixth and final state berth, and the Pioneers appeared poised to contend for one of those regional berths heading into this season.

It’s still possible for the Pioneers to qualify for a state berth, but they won’t have Dahimene to lead the way this year. Millbrook coach Kevin Shirk said the Pioneers junior standout is out for the year.

Croyle, who placed ninth in Conference 21, should move into the top spot with Dahimene out.

“Obviously it’s a big loss for the team because [Nadia’s] a fantastic runner and had just made huge improvements running 11:21 for 3,200 meters during track season,” said Shirk. “She was really starting to train with more seriousness and starting to see improvements from it, so the timing of her setback isn’t ideal — but I’m certain she’ll return [for track].

“With the loss of Nadia for this season, we look to Hannah Croyle to lead the way as our No. 1.”

The top four teams in the conference meets advance to regionals, and the top six teams at regionals plus the top 10 finishers not on those top six teams advance to state.

Handley finished as the runner-up in Conference 35, coming in 18 points behind champion Fluvanna (who qualified for state by placing sixth in the 4A North Region). The Judges return three runners — sophomores Nicole King and Ruthie Rosenfeld and senior Abby Swartz — that placed in the top 15 at last year’s conference meet.

“Ellie Selzer and Nicole King will be pushing our pack,” Handley coach Emily Budnyk-Putt said. “They both had great training over the summer. We have two to three freshmen that will run in our top seven for our team as well as Ellie Volinsky returning to challenge for a top-five position. Abby Swartz is coming back from an injury in track, and I think she will be ready to go just at the time we need her.”

James Wood returns five of its top seven runners — including Sophia Dorsey and Autumn Hottle who placed in the top 15 at the Conference 21 meet — from last year’s team that placed third at the Conference 21 meet.

Colonels coach Mike Onda said the team’s goal is to place in the top six at regionals to qualify for the state meet — but he knows that Conference 21 and the 4A North Region will be tough once again.

“We didn’t have a a good race at regionals [placing ninth] but I definitely think we have a shot at it this year,” said Onda, who returns five of his top seven runners from last year. “I’m not sure how Millbrook is sitting, Sherando is returning a lot of girls and Loudoun County is always strong.

“Woodgrove and Heritage were good last year so I think it will be a tight competition again. I don’t think it will be a walk in the park for anybody.”

The following is a glance at the area teams:

Millbrook

Coach: Kevin Shirk, fifth year

Last year: Fourth in Conference 21, seventh in 4A North Region.

Key losses: Nadia Dahimene, Sophia Lee.

Top returnees: Hannah Croyle, Jr. (All-Conference 21, 9th place); McKenzie Schrank, Sr.; Delaney Caswell, Soph.; Maddie Treiber, Sr.; and Ansleigh White, Jr.

Top newcomers: Mellany Groll, Fr.; Emily Learn, Fr.; Sydney Sharp, Soph.

Shirk’s outlook: “It will take a team effort and a strong pack in our No. 2 through No. 5 to really affect the conference,” Shirk said. “The girls are working hard and seeing breakthroughs in training, so we have set some high goals even without our leader from the past two seasons.”

First meet: Saturday, at Great Meadow Invitational, 9 a.m.

Handley

Coach: Emily Budnyk-Putt, seventh year

Last year: Second in Conference 23, eighth in 4A North Region.

Key losses: Ashden Personius (All-Conference 23, 3rd; All-4A North Region, 12th; All-4A state, 14th); Candace Nelson (All-Conference 23, 11th), Eileen Wilkerson and Scarlett Hutchins.

Top returnees: Nicole King, Soph. (fourth in Conf. 23); Ruthie Rosenfeld, Soph. (13th in Conf. 23); Abby Swartz, Sr. (15th in Conf. 23); Ellie Selzer, Sr.; Kelly Boppe, Jr.; Alisa Dayo, Soph.; Anna Claire Wilkerson, Jr.; Maria Bayliss, Soph.

Top newcomers: Ellie Volinsky, Sr.; Maggie Lineburg, Fr.; Sydney Aschenbrenner, Fr.; Kristin Blake, Fr.; Amanda Kesler, Fr.; Elise Smith, Fr.; Kaia Franklin, Fr.

Budnyk-Putt’s outlook: “Our goals are pretty consistent with last year — to stay healthy, peak at the right time and be in the mix at the conference and regional levels.

“We have tremendous depth and great team chemistry this year, which is exciting.”

Next meet: Sept. 10, at Northwestern District meet at Millbrook, 5

Sherando

Coach: Jamie McCarty, second year

Last year: Seventh in Conference 21.

Key losses: Rosa Gibson and Sam Herrell.

Top returnees: Katie Rogers, Sr.; Andi Crosby, Sr.; Haley Powers, Sr.; Evelyn Gibson, Jr.

Top newcomers: Paige Conner

McCarty’s outlook: “We’re in a pretty tough conference and tough area and after last season we had to step things up,” said McCarty, who returns six of his top seven runners from last season. “We’d like to get out of our conference but to get in the top four will be pretty tough.

“We have a tough conference with Woodgrove, James Wood and Millbrook and a couple of the other Loudoun County schools, so we’re chasing them. The top four is something we’re looking for.”

Next meet: Saturday, at Great Meadow Invitational, 9 a.m.

James Wood

Coach: Mike Onda, ninth year

Last year: Third in Conference 21 and ninth in the 4A North Region.

Key losses: Brittany Arnold (All-Conference 21, 15th), Molly Farinholt, Zoe Schopick, All-Conference 21, 14th).

Top returnees: Halle Esparza, Jr.; Sophia Dorsey, Soph. (All-Conference 21, eighth place); Autumn Hottle, Soph. (All-Conference 21, 12th place); Maria Harter, Soph.; Jessie Clatterbuck, Soph.; Katie Sunderlin, Soph.; Lydia Sunderlin, Soph.

Top newcomers: Katie Clatterbuck, Jr.; Faith Ferrulli, Soph.; Alina Hackney, Fr.; Hayley Lawrence, Soph.; Sophia Walker, Fr.

Onda’s outlook: “I feel like they’ve got a really good shot of getting out of conference,” Onda said. “As long as we keep training and performing, I think they’ve got a good shot of moving on to the state championship.”

First meet: Saturday, at Great Meadow Invitational, 9 a.m.

Clarke County

Coach: Jamie Symons, second year

Last year: Third in Conference 35, fifth in 2A East Region and 10th in 2A.

Key losses: Alex Harden, Amy Legare, Rachel Dors, Emily Snyder and Hayley Botts.

Top returnees: Sophia Biddle-Snead, Soph. (All-Conference 35, eighth; Piper Mettenburg, Soph.

Top newcomers: Catherine Lewis, Fr.; Becky Roberts, Fr.

Symon’s outlook: “We’ve actually increased our numbers this year which I believe will help our depth,” said Symons, who returns three from last year’s top seven. “The girls are working hard, and I think with depth and work ethic that there’s no doubt in my mind we can build on success of last year. We’ve added some good freshmen and some others that are new to the program who will make contributions later in the year so we’ll see how things proceed.”

Next meet: Wednesday, vs. Luray, 5

— Contact Robert Stocks at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.