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DyeStat Virginia
2000 cross country�
AA Bay Rivers District
Newport News Park 5K Course Newport News, VA 10/28/00
Bay Rivers District runners probably would fare a lot better against their counterparts than they do against one another. If times were a factor, then the top Group AAA Peninsula District runners would fall in mediocrity against their Group AA neighbors.
Jamestown standount Bryce Ruiz led nine runners under the 17-minute mark Friday in the boys race of the Bay Rivers District cross country championships at Newport News Park, and helped the Eagles to their second team crown in four years.
In comparison, the Peninsula meet, held thursday on the same 3.1 mile course, had only three boys under 17 minutes. Ruiz's time of 15 minutes, 26 seconds, was 13 seconds faster than the Peninsula winner's.
The girl's times were just as impressive with three runners under 20 minutes and 10 slipping under 21 minutes. Sophomore Amanda McHenry won in 19:43 and led the Grafton Clippers to the team honors.
The Peninsula District didn't have a single girl go under 20 minutes, while only four did better than 21.
Besides McHenry, the Clippers had four other runners in the top 15. Grafton's girls led second-place Lafayette by 17 points and the Jamestown boys beat the the runner-up Rams by 25.
The top four teams and 15 individuals per race earned spots in Thursday's Region I meet, which will start at 3:15 p.m. on the Eastern State Hospital course in Williamsburg.
The girls race was fairly close all the way, with McHenry battling Lafayette's Briana Kearney (19:47) and Jamestown's Christina Rich (19:52). McHenry took charge on the final turn.
"The girls in this district are tough," McHenry said.
Grafton coach Craig Worthman said the Clippers are eager to go beyond the district title.
"The biggest difference about this year's team is that we've got four girls to run with Amanda," Wortman said. "Last year we didn't. They have fun at this. Amanda did exactly what I wanted her to do. She ran conservative, then kicked it in the end. This is what you coach for."
Ruiz and York's Allen Carr, two of the best runners in the state, left the field behind early. They stuck with each other until about the final mile, when the Jamestown runner pulled away. Carr led most of the race, but Ruiz was only a step behind him, pacing himself for a late surge.
It worked. As the two closed within 500 yards of the finish, Ruiz got stronger and Carr faded. Even though he ran to a fast 15:38 clocking, defending champion Carr still finished 12 seconds behind.
"Last year, I tried taking it out fast and didn't work," Ruiz said. "(Around the concrete), I started to break ahead for a little bit, but he came back and caught me. Then I made another surge and I just gutted it out."
The battle for 3rd in the boys race was exciting. Everyone knew that Ruiz and Carr would take either first or second, but a lot of the top runners in the district went out fast with 10 or more runner going 5 flat or sub 5 for the first mile. Three runners emerged from that pack a little after the 2 mile mark. Those runners were Jimmy Kohlman (Lafayette), Preston Wall (Lafayette), and Brandon Miles (Jamestown). As they emerged from the woods with only about 300-400 meters to go, Kohlman and Wall had about a 3-4 second lead on Miles. But as they made the final turn down the last 100 meters, Miles caught right up beside them and the 3 runners hauled it in for probably the most exciting part of the race with all 3 runners having strong kicks and a leaning finish with Kohlman in third, Wall in 4th, and Miles in 5th.
BOYS Team Results
1. Jamestown 35 2. Lafayette 60 3. Tabb 92 4. York 99 5. Grafton 119 6. Bruton 119 7. Poquoson 204 8. Southamtpon 208 9. Smithfield 273
Top 15 Individuals
1. Bryce Ruiz (Jam) 15:26 2. Allen Carr (Y) 15:38 3. Jimmy Kohlman (Laf) 16:29 4. Preston Wall (Laf) 16:30 5. Brandon Miles (Jam) 16:31 6. James Ridings (Tabb) 16:39 7. Dallas Sicay (Gra) 16:40 8. Tony Davila (Jam) 16:41 9. Jeff Magner (Jam) 16:46 10. Timothy Mulherin (Tabb) 17:04 11. Trent Williams (Y) 17:14 12. Phllip Cooke (Jam) 17:16 13. Jesse Reid (Bru) 17:20 14. Andrew Kuhn (Laf) 17:22 15. Greg Whitaker (SH) 17:28
GIRLS Teams Results
1. Grafton 46 2. Lafayete 63 3. Jamestown 79 4. York 87 5. Bruton 92 6. Tabb 128 7. Southampton 209 8. Poquoson 218 9. Smithfield 278
Top 15 Individuals
1. Amanda McHenry (Gra) 19:43 2. Brian Kearney (Laf) 19:47 3. Chrissie Rich (Jam) 19:52 4. Valeria Lampert (Gra) 20:05 5. Ashley Reyher (Laf) 20:08 6. Laura Smith (Tabb) 20:16 7. Amy Rolley (Bru) 20:39 8. Julianna Terry (Y) 20:49 9. Grace Zamora (Jam) 20:56 10. Melissa Kershner (Laf) 20:59 11. Marisa Westmoreland (Jam) 21:00 12. Ashley Manis (Gra) 21:03 13. Sarah Deibler (Y) 21:11 14. Amanda Alward (Gra) 21:18 15. Katherine Kross (Gra) 21:29
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