2009 Cross Country Season

[Dave Robicheaux]

How's the season shaping up in the PD and BRD? I heard there has been a change of coach at Hampton High, and that many schools are having trouble finding 5 boys and 5 girls to make up their teams -- any truth to either story?

[uptempo21]

Grafton XC will be the team to watch this season in our local area as well as the state level. Grafton is ranked #2 in AA.

[virginiaboy6]

Is there any cross country news out in the Newport News area, list of each runner from the area teams.:clap2:

[06Raider]

I've heard the same story about the coaching change at Hampton...the fall sports schedule on their website lists Mark Hollingsworth as the new coach.

Speaking for Warwick, I can say that we've had no trouble getting kids out to run. We've had major issues with that in the past, but our two teams are as deep as they've been in a long time. We didn't field a full girls' team at Districts, but have 11 runners out right now. From what I've seen on the Noland Trail in the mornings, Menchville and Peninsula Catholic have big numbers out there as well.

For Newport News schools, I'm pretty sure that Menchville returns 4 of their top 5 and 5 of their top 7 from the District meet. Woodside's Remington Roth should have a good season as well.

On the girls side in NN, Menchville's Maxine Robinson is the top returning finisher from the District meet. Warwick senior Ashley Dixon should improve on her 20th place finish at Districts last year. Warwick freshman Eliza Lavery won 2 invitational JV races as an 8th grader last year (Bill McGough and Walsingham) and ran a 1:42:43 half-marathon in April.

Overall in the PD, the boys individual title should go to someone in purple and gold as 4 of the top 5 returning finishers from Districts last year are Menchville runners. Eric Speray (Gloucester), Rasheed Parker (Kecoughtan), and Corey Burke (Hampton) are the top non-NN returners. Menchville should bring home another team title as well, with Gloucester second (if they can adjust to Coach Heidi Overbay's move out of the state). Kecoughtan, Bethel, Hampton, and Warwick will most likely be in contention for the last two Regional berths.

The individual girls' title should be Kristina Woodard's to lose...provided she adjusts well to the coaching change. Elizabeth Drake (Gloucester), Victoria Worrall (Phoebus), Victoria Luera (Gloucester), Tori Lewis Johnson (Bethel), Rashaun Combs (Bethel), and Ariel Smith (Kecoughtan) should be the top non-NN finishers at Districts. Gloucester, Bethel, Menchville, and Warwick are my predicted top 4 teams...in no particular order.