Leading area cross country times

[Lynn Burke]

The top 50 area times for boys and girls, plus times from the Eastern State Hospital course

[Dave Robicheaux]

Hampton's Kristina Woodard, a junior, lowered the Peninsula District's best 3.1 mile time this past Wednesday with an 18:33 at Gosnolds Hope Park in Hampton. In that race, Woodard crossed the line nearly a minute and a half ahead of her opponents from Gloucester, and topped the talented and much heralded Duke senior Hannah Varnell by over 3 minutes.

Woodard defeated her Peninsula District rival again on Saturday at the Chesapeake Invitational at Bells Mill Park in Chesapeake. On a hot and humid afternoon, Woodard finished second to senior Stacy Nobles of Ocean Lakes with a time of 19:11. Varnell, demonstrating that her effort the previous Wednesday had not been her best, finished 4th with a time of 20:10. There is no doubt but that the Peninsula District race later this fall will be a two-woman showdown between these terrific runners.

Besides Woodard and Varnell, the Peninsula was well represented in the field of 154 Varsity A runners on Saturday. Kimmy Fiscella, Katie Mlynczak, Blythe Fiscella, Kristy Mlynczak, Colleen Thom, and Kylie Regan of Peninsula Catholic finished 15th, 25th, 26th, 33rd, 41st and 47th, good enough to take home the 3rd place team trophy. Ariana Betts of Bethel (16th), Victoria Luera of Gloucester (24th), Elisabeth Drake of Gloucester (28th), Tori Lewis-Johnson of Bethel (48th), and Ashley Sessoms of Hampton (49th) all finished in the top 50.