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With seasonably cool conditions at Watkins Mill Thursday afternoon, the 4A/3A West Region cross country meet saw many of the area's strongest runners strengthen their positioning for next week's state championship race, but there were a few surprises along the way, as well.
4A boys: 'Cats run wild
Walter Johnson continued its season-long team dominance by winning the boys 4A West Region title with an average time of 17 minutes, 11.48 seconds. Of the Wildcats' seven runners, five finished in the top 21, including fifth- and sixth-place finishes by sophomore Alex Willett (16:56.36) and junior Sean O'Leary (16.56.59), respectively.
"We just push each other every day," said O'Leary. "I am proud of Alex. That was a great kick by him at the end. I am glad he was able to beat me because he earned it. I got fried on that last hill. Alex raced smart."
Senior Roni Teich, junior Ishan Dey, freshman Josh Ellis, sophomore Nick Regan and senior Phillip Shriver finished 10th, 12th, 21st, 27th and 42nd, respectively.
"They have been one of the most consistent teams I've ever had," said Walter Johnson head coach Tom Martin. "They came in the beginning of the year talking about winning a state championship and I thought they could be a good team, but they went beyond my expectations; not with what they are capable of, but their level of commitment. It's been a lot of fun to be around."
Sherwood senior Solomon Haile once again blew away the field and took home the individual title with a time of 15:56.74. Whitman's Andrew Palmer (16:30.63) finished second, nearly 34 seconds behind Haile.
4A girls: A Wildcat upset
Walter Johnson sophomore Anna Bosse (19:37.68) shocked herself and the field as she upset 2008 county champion and defending 4A West Region victor Britt Eckerstrom of Northwest to capture the individual crown.
"I was just trying to do my best and stay with the lead pack and stay relaxed," said Bosse, who finished fifth at the Montgomery County championship. "I was just trying to get top-5 and run a sub-20 minutes. I really wanted to help my team make it to states, but this is definitely a surprise."
Added Martin: "Anna has been improving every week and hopefully people can now see that she can run a little."
The Wildcats finished fourth as a team, good enough for a trip to states.
Eckerstrom (19:46.90) finished second, 9 seconds off the pace while teammate Alyssa Henshaw (19:49.46) finished third. Their effort helped the Jaguars win the team championship.
3A boys: Hornets take it
The Damascus boys ran away with the 3A West Region boys title. All seven runners finished in the top 21, led by Thomas Arias (17:31.35), who finished second.
"Lorenzo Acosta raced his first varsity race today as a freshman," said Damascus head coach Robert Youngblood. "He's been impressing me all year and today I decided to make a switch. Here's the funny thing: I have no seniors on this team, so it looks good for now and the future."
Urbana senior Nick Huang led the field with a time of 17:11.89 while teammate Jimmy Miller (17:38.26) finished third to give the Hawks a third-place finish. B-CC was runner-up with an average time of 18:09.57. Barons junior Eric Damtoft (17:45.43) finished fifth.
3A girls: Swarmin' on up
Despite an undefeated regular season and placing third at the Montgomery County Championship, the Damascus girls cross country team has flown under the radar this year. But they were not to be outdone Thursday by their male counterparts, stinging the rest of the field with a dominating performance.
"No one has talked about them all year," said Youngblood. "I've got four girls who have never run varsity before. I am just glad we have had the support with senior Taylor Colbert and now we got a team around her."
On the individual side, B-CC senior Addie Tousley once again took home the regional title en route to securing the Barons' second place. She finished 26 seconds clear of the field with a time of 20:40.00.
Trailing by 30 yards midway through the race to Urbana's Kathryn Fossaceca, Tousley was able to re-orient herself and turn up the pace.
"I took a wrong turn," said Tousley, who also won the 2007 regional title. "I turned around and had to go back up the hill, but it was an interesting time. I kind of expected to come out and run pretty fast so that's good."
The Maryland state championship meet will be held Nov. 8 at Hereford High School in Baltimore County.
4A Girls results
Northwest 67
Quince Orchard 74
Whitman 79
Walter Johnson 80
Churchill 95
Anna Bosse, W. Johnson, 19:37.68
Britt Eckerstrom, Northwest 19:46.90
Alyssa Henshaw, Northwest, 19:49.46
Abigail Spitler, Gaithersburg, 19:52.58
Jesse Rubin, Wootton, 19:59.27
3A Girls results
Damascus 34
B-CC 53
Urbana 67
Einstein 99
Tuscarora 116
Addie Tousley, B-CC, 20:40.00
Kathryn Fossaceca, Urbana, 21:06.00
Kayla Coleman, Urbana, 21:31.00
Taylor Colbert, Damascus, 21:36.00
Janna Domico, Damascus, 21:38.00
4A Boys results
Walter Johnson 54
Northwest 100
Churchill 119
Sherwood 120
Magruder 155
Solomon Haile, Sherwood, 15:56.74
Andrew Palmer, Whitman, 16:30.63
Nicolas Escobar, Magruder, 16:53.57
Chris Miller, Northwest, 16:56.09
Alex Willett, W. Johnson, 16:56.36
3A Boys results
Damascus 35
B-CC 59
Urbana 66
Einstein 94
Frederick 186
Nick Huang, Urbana, 17:11.89
Thomas Arias, Damascus, 17:31.35
Jimmy Miller, Urbana, 17:38.26
Cecil Jonas, Damascus, 17:45.20
Eric Damtoft, B-CC, 17:45.43
