Girls' Cross Country Preview

Posted: August 19, 2016
By ROBERT STOCKS
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — Clarke County High School’s girls’ cross country team placed all seven runners in the top 25 at the Conference 35 meet a season ago.

Six Eagle runners, led by conference champ Skylar Bragg, finished among the top 20 — but Clarke still finished as the runner-up by 10 points.

It took an even more jaw-dropping performance by George Mason, which put all seven scoring runners in the top 12, to defeat Clarke.

Things might be different this season.

Mason graduated four of its top seven, while Clarke returns all seven varsity runners.

And after finishing behind Mason in the conference and 2A West Region meets, the Eagles finally beat their district rival at the Group 2A state meet.

The Eagles finished as the state runner-up (and Mason finished fourth — 17 points behind Clarke) so there are a few postseason firsts that Clarke coach Jeff Webster’s team can set its sights on.

But getting the team to the postseason in peak form once again remains Webster’s main objective.

"Knock on wood — my goal is to get them through the season [healthy]," said Webster. "I’m kind of trying to downplay the expectations for the season."

Webster knows there’s plenty of races before the postseason meets, so he wants his team to focus on those.

Bragg (fourth, 19 minutes, 20 seconds) and sophomore classmate Madison Webster (seventh, 19:40) both earned all-state honors (top 15) at the Group 2A state meet a season ago, and the Eagles put all five scoring runners in the top 45.

Clarke had 13 runners in the program at the end of the last year, but the roster has doubled with 26 runners in the program.

So a strong Clarke team has even more athletes to work with.

"Last year’s team was so small and there was no real room for error," Webster said. "This year with a little more depth — it’s fun to see those numbers.

"They’ve come to me and asked ‘what do you think our chances are this year.’ If they’re running at 90 percent — they’re going to do really, really well. I’m pretty confident if they’re functioning at 90 percent, they’re going to do just fine."

The Eagles aren’t the only area team that returns a full lineup.

James Wood brings back all seven varsity runners, Handley returns six and both Millbrook and Sherando return five.

Colonels coach Mike Onda knows it won’t be easy to earn one of the top three spots (which advance to regionals) at the conference meet in what looks to be another competitive season among the Conference 21 West teams.

"We have a very tough conference with a lot of quality teams," Onda said. "Sherando, I think is going to be tough with a lot of good athletes. Handley always seems to be able to put together a really good girls’ team, and Woodgrove was really strong last year. If Millbrook can get the numbers, coach [Kevin] Shirk can pull the best out of those athletes — he always does."

Shirk said the girls’ race could be a toss up with several quality teams.

"Sherando returns a very strong top three, and I view them as the favorites," Shirk said. "Like every year, almost every team in the conference can end up coming away with the win if they can get to the start line healthy and strong at the end of October."

Sherando coach Jamie McCarty said sophomore Camryn Ubert is coming back from a leg injury from the track season, but the girls’ team reminds him of the Warriors’ boys’ team that won the conference championship last season — but the Warrior girls are much younger.

McCarty expects a competitive race to earn one of the conference’s three regional-qualifying spots.

"Millbrook is going to bring back a really strong team," McCarty said. "They lose a few girls but return a lot of talent. Woodgrove is going to be really good, and Handley and James Wood will also have good teams.

"The girls’ [race] is almost like the guys last year. Somebody isn’t going to make it out [of the conference meet] that’s going to be a quality team. It will be a real battle to advance and make that return trip to regionals."

Here’s a glance at the area teams:

Clarke County

Coach: Jeff Webster, second year

Last year: Runner-up in Conference 35, third in 2A East Region, Group 2A state runner-up

Key losses: None.

Top returnees: Sophia Snead, Sr.; Piper Mettenburg, Sr.; Catherine Lewis, Jr.; Becky Roberts, Jr.; Catherine Trejo, Sr.; Kendall Benoit, Sr.; Skylar Bragg, Soph.; Madison Webster, Soph.; Maeve Lyman, Soph.; Stephanie Miller, Soph.

Key newcomers: Kamryn Anderson, Soph.; Aria Montgomery, Fr.

Webster’s outlook: "One thing we have now is a point of reference. I know they’re a year older and more mature. My sense is they’re developing. I think they’ll go into the Central Invite, and I think if conditions are similar — they will run faster [than last year].

"But we don’t want to be near-sighted. November is a long way away, so shame on us if we lose sight of that."

First meet: Aug. 27, at the Central Invitational, 9:30 a.m.

Millbrook

Coach: Kevin Shirk, seventh year

Last year: Conference 21 West champs, third in 4A West Region, seventh in Group 4A state meet.

Key losses: Nadia Dahimene and Hannah Croyle

Top returnees: Kaycee Cox-Philyaw, Soph.; Mellany Groll, Jr.; Emily Muldowney, Soph.; Maddie Lloyd, Soph.; Sophie Edlich, Soph.; Sydney Sharp, Sr.

Key newcomers: Ava Derrick, Soph.; Katie Boreland, Fr.; Alli Vilchez, Jr.

Shirk’s outlook: "We are returning conference winners and have a great group of girls, but not viewing ourselves as the favorites. We have work to do if we’d like to advance to regionals and states, and we’ll need to remain focused on those bigger goals throughout the season if we want to peak at the right time."

First meet: Aug. 27, at the Great Meadow Invitational, 9 a.m.

Handley

Coach: Emily Budnyk-Putt, ninth year

Last year: Sixth in Conference 21 West

Key losses: Ruthie Rosenfeld and Anna Claire Wilkerson

Top returnees: Kenzi Fergus, Soph.; Nicole King, Sr.; Kristin Blake, Jr.; Riley Fisher, Soph.; Melanie Morgan, Soph.; Sydney Aschenbrenner, Jr.; Elise Smith, Soph.; Allison Morgan, Soph.

Key newcomers: Kendall Felix, Fr.; Desi Moreland, Fr.

Budnyk-Putt’s outlook: "Our goal is to be competitive at the conference meet on our home course. I think our course is really an advantage for our team. We have traditionally been more successful on courses that are more challenging and hilly."

First meet: Aug. 25, at the PR Kickoff Invitational in Manassas, 4 p.m.

James Wood

Coach: Mike Onda, 11th year

Last year: Fifth in Conference 21 West

Key losses: Halle Esparza and Katie Clatterbuck.

Top returnees: Sophia Dorsey, Sr.; Claire Bright, Sr.; Jessie Clatterbuck, Sr.; Maria Harter, Sr.; Autumn Hottle, Sr.; Lydia Sunderlin, Sr.; Haley Witt, Soph.; Dy’ Avean Sloane, Sr.

Newcomers: Lauren Chamberlain, Sr.; Kenzie Konyar, Fr.

Onda’s outlook: "I think they’re looking strong. It was good to be able to return all of our varsity squad from last year. I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do [in the opening meet] at Great Meadow."

First meet: Aug. 27, at Great Meadow Invitational, 9 a.m.

Sherando

Coach: Jamie McCarty, fourth year

Last year: Third in Conference 21 West, sixth in 4A West Region, eighth at the Group 4A state meet.

Key losses: Tori Reese and Emily Askew.

Top returnees: Paige Conner, Jr.; Hannah Lothrop, Sr.; Olivia Couillard, Soph.; Camryn Ubert, Soph.; Stella Williams, Soph.

Key newcomers: Katie Sommerseld, Soph.; Ellen Lunde, Fr.

McCarty’s outlook: "We return a lot but we’re still young. We have one senior on varsity and three sophomores and a junior. We’re still gaining experience. With what they did last year, making that return trip [to regionals] and competing for the conference title is something we’re going to set out there [as a goal] for ourselves. We’re going to compete with other teams, but also compete amongst ourselves. That can drive us and make us that much better."

First meet: Sept. 3, at the Chancellor Invitational, 8:45 a.m.

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