Boys’ Cross Country Preview — New Conference Could Be Toughest In 4A Level

Posted: August 28, 2015
By ROBERT STOCKS
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — With the new Conference 21A alignment, area boys’ cross country teams must compete in arguably the toughest conference in the state.

The conference features a stacked lineup that includes four of the top 10 programs in Group 4A last year but only the top three teams (instead of four in last year’s alignment) from this year’s conference meet advance to regionals.

Millbrook, Handley, Sherando and Woodgrove all placed in the top 10 at the Group 4A state meet a season ago so the race for the conference championship should be more competitive than ever.

“The teams who finished fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth — Millbrook, Handley, Sherando and Woodgrove — in the state last year are all in our conference,” Millbrook coach Kevin Shirk said. “Every one of those teams is returning the majority of their runners. Only three advance to the regional meet this year, so it will be a fight just to advance and a top team in the state will be left out.”

Handley boys coach Mark Stickley said none of the teams can afford to coast at the conference meet.

“With the new and improved conference we’ve got four of top eight teams in the state last year,” Stickley said. “We’re battling for three spots and none of us want to be odd man out.”

Millbrook returns senior Tyler Cox-Philyaw and junior Alec Schrank which gives the Pioneers a pair of No. 1-caliber runners.

“They may be the best 1-2 in the entire state, in all classifications,” Shirk said.

Schrank returns as the defending conference champion, and Cox-Philyaw finished as the conference runner-up. At regionals, Cox-Philyaw finished as the runner-up and Schrank followed in third and Cox-Philyaw took third and Schrank placed fifth at the state meet.

With regional champ and 4A state champ Peter Seufer of E.C. Glass graduating last year as well as Midlothian’s Collin Hahn (4A state runner-up) and Evan Benjamin (fourth at 4A state), but Cox-Philyaw and Schrank are the top returning runners from the 4A state meet but both must now contend with Loudoun Valley senior Andrew Hunter, who moves up to 4A after winning his second consecutive Group 3A state title and the Foot Locker South Regional (14:36) last fall.

Add in Handley senior Aaron Arslan, the defending Conference 23 champion (16:08), and Sherando’s trio of seniors — Trevor Whiteside and Tom Powars (both returning all-conference) and Thomas Shea, and every area team but James Wood returns an all-conference runner.

“On paper in my opinion it’s the toughest [conference] in the state,” said Sherando coach Jamie McCarty. “There’s a multitude of top 10 teams but also a lot of individuals so you have quality teams and quality individuals and one of us is going to be sitting at home [after the conference meet].”

With so many competitive teams vying for just three regional berths, coaches must try to have their runners peaking for this year’s conference meet at Woodgrove High School on Oct. 28.

“Only three advance to the regional meet this year, so it will be a fight just to advance and a top team in the state will be left out,” Shirk said. “It has me, as a coach, looking well beyond the regular season and making sure we have our runners fit and healthy when it counts in late October.”

“We know who all these guys are and they know us and we’ve raced all these guys for years,” added McCarty. “There’s no surprises with who we have to be competitive with. It’s staying healthy and doing all the right things to be able to put it all together on the days that you need to.”

The top three teams from Conference 21A advance to the 4A West Region championship at the Smith River Sports Complex in Axton (near Martinsville — and a 490-mile roundtrip from Winchester).

“We’re not going to get a chance to look at it [before regionals] but you still have to line up seven guys or seven girls and we all have the same course,” McCarty said. “We’ll see what happens.”

At Clarke County, Jeff Webster, a former runner at Frostburg State University, takes over the boys’ program that placed fifth in Conference 35.

The following is a glance at the area teams:

Millbrook

Coach: Kevin Shirk, sixth year

Last year: Conference 21 champion, 4A North Region champion and fifth at 4A state meet.

Key losses: Garrett Bloodworth (All-Conference 21)

Top returnees: Tyler Cox-Philyaw, Sr. (All-Conference 21, All-4A North Region, All-4A state), Alec Schrank Jr. (All-Conference 21, All-4A North Region, All-4A state), Tom Carty Sr., Justin Wiseman Jr., Kevin Kleinegger Jr., Tod Hart Jr.

Key newcomers: John Pullen Fr., Brad Hambrick Fr., Daniel Croyle Fr., Chris Hurt Fr.

Shirk’s outlook: “Our goal is to make a run at the conference championship again, then we hope to be running well enough at regions to challenge for the win, but our priority will be to make it to states.”

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

Sherando

Coach: Jamie McCarty, third year

Last year: Conference 21 runner-up, third in 4A North Region and sixth at 4A state meet.

Key losses: Justin Hammer, Jahlil Northover (All-Conference 21).

Top returnees: Tom Powars, Sr. (All-Conference 21); Thomas Shea, Sr.; Trevor Whiteside, Sr. (All-Confernce 21); James Kelly, Sr.; Garrett Allegra, Sr.; Hayden Williams, Jr.

Key newcomers: Jacob Duncan, Sr.; Jonathan VanAlsberg, Soph.; Jacob Carr, Fr.

McCarty’s outlook: “We feel really comfortable with what we’ve got on the top with Powars, Shea and Whiteside. They got a good taste last season to be at the state tournament and for most of them it was their first time. We have high expectations and I think they understand for five or six guys there’s not going to be another trip [after this year].”

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

Handley

Coach: Mark Stickley, 13th year

Last year: Conference 23 champion, third in 4A North Region; 6th at 4A state meet.

Key losses: Cole Talton (All-Conference 23), Garrett Patnode (All-Conference 23), Zach Foote.

Top returnees: Aaron Arslan, Sr. (All-Conference 23, All-4A North Region); Casey Marchant, Jr.;

Key newcomers: Brian Tufts, Fr.; Pedro Silverio, Fr.

Stickley’s’ outlook: We’re pretty solid. Our 1-2 punch [Arslan and Delaney] is not quite as strong as Millbrook, but we’re not far off from that. It will depend on how our three, four and five run. We’re starting out with all of them under 17:30, but that’s not going to be good enough. They need to be faster. I guess it’s going to be anybody’s call for conference.”

First meet: Sept. 2, at Woodgrove, 4:30 p.m.

Clarke County

Coach: Jeff Webster, first year

Last year: Fifth in Conference 35

Key losses: Travis Fairman

Top returnees: Michael Dietz, Sr.; Ian Dors, Sr.; Sean Hubbard, Jr.; Graham Smith, Sr.; Isaac Weintz, Sr. Jack Dale, Sr. ; Chase Irvin, Soph.

Key newcomers: Kyle Erickson, Fr.

Webster’s outlook: With the boys’ team we have real good strength up front with Ian and Michael returning. If we can get our 4-5-6 on guys side to move up a little bit, then I think they have a good chance to make it to the state level.”

First meet: Saturday, at Central Invitational, 9:30 a.m.

James Wood

Coach: Mike Onda, 12th year

Last year: Seventh in Conference 21

Key losses: Andrew Shade (All-Conference 21, All-4A North Region, All-4A state), Kieran Orndorff

Top returnees: Max Lindquist, Jr.; Joey Costello, Jr.; Josh Dansie, Sr.; Jacksen Costa, Soph.; Kevin Konyar, Soph. Aaron Curd, Soph. Bryce Ratlief, Soph.

Key newcomers: Joshua Arcey, Fr.; all fresh. Derek Burke, Fr.; David Dorsey, Fr.; Brian Hua, Fr.; Chris Pate, Fr.; Ethan Pierce; Fr.; Jack Lever, Jr.; Jace Chipman, Sr.; and Daniel Woodrum, Soph.

Onda’s outlook: “Max was a regional qualifier and Costa is right on his heels. Our pack is tightening up and they’re running pretty fast. I think they have some potential to do some damage but our conference fields some of the top teams in the state, so they definitely have their work cut out for them.”

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

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