Vikings, Bruins to battle for Cardinal supremacy
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By Robert Daski
Published: October 20, 2008
The Vikings’ chance to repeat comes Thursday at Leesylvania Park. With the majority of runners return-ing from last year’s championship team, the Vikings expect to be tested by a deep Forest Park team looking to reclaim the district crown it won from 2002-06.
“I think our chances to win the district are good,” Woodbridge coach Adam Daniels said. “I still think it’s going to be really hard. Forest Park looks really good and they will be a really difficult team to beat.”
The Bruins have momentum. They finished atop the boys’ and girls’ standings at the Oct. 14 district race at Leesylvania Park, the final time Cardinal teams raced each other in the regular season.
“The kids have been working hard since last December when I came over (from Hylton),” Forest Park coach Andy Tramel said. “We lost so much to graduation. We worked hard all last year, worked hard all summer and worked hard all fall.
“Based on how we’ve been competing, we should be able to win both. But there’s no guarantee.”
Forest Park recorded the top five finishers from the Oct. 14 meet. They were winner Marisa Hess, followed by Alison Dunleavy, Gabby Owermohle, Emily Cate and Chelsea Jacobsen.
Marisa’s sister Ashley finished eighth.
Woodbridge’s top runners did not run that day. But Vikings senior Michelle Britto, the two-time defending district champion, and junior Erin Rolaf want to recapture the feeling they experienced last year when they led their team to victory.
“That’s what we’ve been trying for,” Daniels said.
Britto faces serious competition in her quest to remain the Cardinal’s top female. Gar-Field junior Lindsi Arrington and Potomac sophomore Debra Baner have put together quality seasons. Arrington finished 10th at Octoberfest on Oct. 4 and placed third at the Albemarle Invitational a week later. Baner was 12th at October-fest, ninth at Albemarle.
The boys’ race could come down to Potomac’s Andre Poindexter and Forest Park’s Tyler Iwanicki.
Because 11 of last year’s top 15 finishers graduated in the spring, there will be several new athletes who will emerge to be the district’s best this season. There will also be a new individual champion after 2007 winner Noah Hagos graduated.
“It is wide open in that a lot of individuals are new,” Tramel said.
CEDAR RUN DISTRICT
The battle for the boys’ Cedar Run District title figures to be between Battlefield and Osbourn Park. Battle-field seeks to add its second title in school history after winning its first last year.
“We’re running well and OP’s running great,” Battlefield coach Joe Huddle said. “We just hope we can match up against them.”
Each team had something to smile about in the regular season. Osbourn Park finished 16th in the team competition at the Oatlands Invitational on Sept. 20, five places higher than the Bobcats. Battlefield retaliated by placing fourth, four spots above Osbourn Park, at the Albemarle Invitational.
“Our top three runners are all seniors, so it’s probably going to come down to how our four, five, six and seven runners run,” Yellow Jackets coach Michael Schuster said. “We want to see the kids stay healthy and run well. Battlefield has high expectations too, so it should be a pretty exciting race.”
Osbourn Park junior Ariel Karabinus seeks her third straight district title on the girls’ side. Her Albemarle Invitational time, though, increased from 18-minutes, 35-seconds last year to 19:27 this year. But the change in time does not concern Schuster.
“Her team goals are to win districts,” the coach said. “She’s helping her teammates get better and excel. That’s what team captains do.”
NORTHWESTERN DISTRICT
With a strong set of runners in its top seven, Brentsville’s girls’ team has the depth to make a run at the Northwestern District title. Junior Allison Bartels led the Tigers to a team title in the girls’ division at the Hagan Stone XC Classic on Oct. 4 in Greensboro, N.C.
Bartels won the race in a personal-best time of 18:47. Senior Maggie Gentry finished 11th (19:32). Morgan Price and Sarah Earman finished 13th (19:35) and 14th (19:41), respectively.
Brentsville’s boys’ team also enjoyed a great day in Greensboro. The Tigers finished fourth overall behind Grant Burress’ ninth place finish (16:23).
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