Cross Country coverage sponsored by Potomac River Running
**Video Below Includes Preview of Oatlands Course!**
By Dan Sousa & Alysia Deem
LoudounPrepSports.com
Leesburg, VA (Sept. 18, 2008) – When the Oatlands Invitational started back in 2005 it was a respectable race with 40 teams, mostly from the Northern Virginia area. After 2006 meet organizers mailed out 100 CDs of the race to top programs around the country and the result was that in 2007 more than 70 teams competed, including the nationally-ranked Saratoga Springs girls from New York.
The field has expanded to even greater proportions for 2008 as 101 teams, even a squad from Colorado, will take to the 5K course this Saturday Sept. 20 on the historic grounds of the Oatlands Plantation outside of Leesburg in Loudoun County.
Saratoga Springs is back to defend its girls title against teams from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Colorado and the District of Columbia. On the boys side, the meet features eight of the top 10 teams ranked by www.milestat.com in the state of Virginia, including Oakton, Thomas Jefferson, Atlee, Potomac Falls, Western Albemarle, Robinson and Mountain View.
The meet, hosted by Freedom (South Riding) and Loudoun County high schools, is expected to draw nearly 4,400 athletes, making it one of the largest cross country meets on the East Coast and one of the largest single high school sporting events in the state of Virginia.
The course (see below for an exclusive video preview) is mostly grass, with rolling hills, some wooded trails, and two creek crossings. Runners can expect some short hills with sharp inclines.
Interestingly Northern Virginia boys have claimed the individual title all three years but all three girls titles have come from out of state runners.
Admission is $5 per car and the spectator-friendly course requires very little walking to watch the action which gets underway at 9 a.m. with the JV Underclassmen Girls Race (unlimited runners). The rest of the schedule includes:
9:45 JV Underclassmen Boys Race (unlimited runners)
10:25 JV Upperclassmen Girls Race (unlimited runners)
11:05 JV Upperclassmen Boys Race (unlimited runners)
11:45 Varsity Girls B Race (7 runners per team)
12:25 Varsity Boys B Race (7 runners per team)
1:05 Varsity Girls A Race (7 runners per team)
1:45 Varsity Boys A Race (7 runners per team)
2:30 Awards (medals given to top 25 individudals in each race. Top three teams in Varsity A races and top two teams in Varsity B and JV races receive trophies)
2007 Results
Boys team: 1, Thomas Jefferson. 2, Robinson. 3, Potomac Falls. 4, Woodson. 5, University (MD).
Girls team: 1, Saratoga Springs (NY). 2, University (MD). 3, Millbrook. 4, Herndon. 5, Walt Whitman (MD).
Boys Individual: Brad Kenimer (T.C. Williams) 16:00.04
Girls Individual: Hannah Davidson (Saratoga Springs NY) 18:04.96
2006 Results
Boys team: 1, Mountain View. 2, Walt Whitman (MD). 3, Sherwood (MD). 4, Heritage. 5, Robinson.
Girls team: 1, Lake Braddock. 2, Langley. 3, Westfield. 4, Brooke Point. 5, University(MD).
Boys Individual: Brad Kenimer (T.C. Williams) 16:13.85
Girls Individual: Amber Rilery (University MD) 19:03.07
2005 Results
Boys team: 1, Clarke County. 2, North Stafford. 3, Herndon. 4, Osbourn Park. 5, Chantilly.
Girls team: 1, Northwest (MD). 2, Westfield. 3, Clarke County. 4, Brooke Point. 5, Lake Braddock.
Boys Individual: Abraham Daganchew (Herndon) 15:45.96
Girls Individual: Brittany Copeland (Brooke Point) 19:04.94
2008 Schools Attending
Annandale
Atlee (boys #4 state VA)
Battlefield HS
Bishop Ireton
Brentsville (girls #8 state VA)
Briar Woods
Broad Run
Brooke Point
Burrell (PA)
C.D. Hylton
Catoctin HS (MD)
Centreville
Chantilly
Charlottesville
Clarke County
Clover Hill
Corning East (NY)
Cosby
Dominion HS
Eastern Mennonite
Edmund Burke
Elizabeth Seton High School
Elkins (WV)
Falls Church
Fredericksburg Academy
Freedom (South Riding)
Gar-field
George C. Marshall
Georgetown Prep (MD)
Gonzaga (DC)
Good Counsel (MD)
Governor Thomas Johnson HS (MD)
Grandview High School (Colorado)
Harrisonburg
Heritage (Leesburg)
Hermitage
Herndon (#5 girls state VA)
Holton-Arms School (MD)
Holy Cross Academy (MD)
James Madison
James Monroe
James Wood
John Handley
Kettle Run
Langley
Lee-Davis
Liberty HS
Linganore (MD)
Loudoun County
Loudoun Valley HS
Louisa
Manassas Park
McLean
Middletown (Girls) (MD)
Millbrook
Monticello
Mount Vernon
Mountain View (boys #10 state VA)
North Stafford
Northwest HS (MD)
Northwood (MD)
Notre Dame Academy (VA)
Oakton (#2 state VA) (girls #7 state VA)
Osbourn HS
Osbourn Park
Park View
Paul VI
Potomac Falls (boys #5 state VA)
Potomac HS
Quince Orchard (MD)
Riverview (PA)
Robert E. Lee (Springfield, VA)
Robinson HS (boys #7 state VA)
Roland Park Country School (MD)
Saratoga Springs (NY)
Sherando
Sherwood
South Lakes
Spotswood
St. John’s (MD)
Stafford
Stone Bridge
Strasburg
T.C. Williams
Thomas Jefferson S & T (boys #3 state VA) (girls #3 state VA)
Trinity School at Meadow View
Turner Ashby
Wakefield
Walkersville HS (MD)
Walt Whitman (MD)
Washington HS (WV)
Washington-Lee HS
West Potomac
West Springfield
Western Albemarle (boys #6 state VA)
Westfield
Williamsports HS (MD)
Winston Churchill (MD)
Woodbridge
Yorktown
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