After a quick glance at the score sheet from Thursday’s Bay Rivers District cross country meet, Grafton girls’ coach Nora Sims said her first reaction was, “I hope no one started too fast!”
That’s because the Clippers, the defending district champs, far exceeded their coach’s expectations after placing five runners in the top 10 of Thursday’s race on Eastern State’s 5K course as Grafton ran away with the girls’ title, finishing close to 50 points in front of runner-up Jamestown.
“We were hoping to win and to place five runners in the top 15,” Sims said. “But we were not expecting to get five in the top 10.”
Largely responsible for the success of last year’s team, which won the district and region titles, were seniors Ashley Bruce and Erin Ouellette. Their absence this fall was the main reason Sims was expecting a slight dropoff from last year.
Instead, five Clippers – Nicole Goff (19:57), Hope Bloxom (20:07), Rachel Rabbitt (20:12), Katie McGovern (21:05) and Risa Grandon (21:21) – turned in top 10 performances as Grafton one-upped last year’s record-setting group.
“The girls put their hearts on the line today and wanted it more than anyone,” Sims added. “That’s the best finish for Grafton High ever at a district meet. We beat last year’s score despite losing two of our top girls.”
Goff, Bloxom and Rabbit led Grafton finishing second, third and fourth respectively, while the favorite, Bruton junior Carley Shannon, jumped out to a big lead early.
Shannon crossed the finish line 30 seconds ahead of Goff, the runner-up, for a time of 19:27.
“I felt really good out there,” Shannon said. “It was definitely hot, but overall I felt good. I like running with the lead so jumping ahead early [as seen in the video below] helped.”
Thursday’s victory adds to what has already been a memorable fall sports season for Shannon, who afterwards was named the district Runner of the Year.
Shannon also has been a key cog on the Panthers’ field hockey team that finished second in the district for the first time in program history this fall. Shannon, a midfielder, hopes to lead Bruton to a victory on Monday when the Panthers host their first Region I home game in decades.
“It’s been an exciting run,” Shannon said. “I get to share this moment with my cross country team and then go out and hopefully get a big win with field hockey.”
On the boys side, Lafayette displayed similar dominance to that of Grafton’s girls by placing five runners in the top 15 as the favored Rams scored a 35-66 victory over second-place Jamestown.
Lafayette junior Jason Menzies continued his breakout season, completing the 3.1-mile course in 16:25 for his first-ever district title.
Menzies held off a strong push down the final stretch from New Kent’s Austin Savage, a standout sprinter on the Trojans’ track team, who finished a second behind Menzies at 16:26.
Rams senior Kurtis Steck, the defending Region I champion, finished third at 16:40 and was later named the boys’ Runner of the Year.
Lafayette also got notable efforts from Andrew Loper (16:56), who finished sixth and set a personal record despite the muggy conditions on a slow course, as well as Michael Connell (17:24) and Derek Holdsworth (17:28), who placed 11th and 12th respectively.
“I thought our team score was terrific,” Lafayette boys coach Craig Wortman said after the race. “We placed five runners in the top 15 and that was our goal coming in.
“We had some guys who didn’t do as well as they hoped, but then again we had others who stepped up and ran some of their better times. It’s a luxury when you have guys that can pick up the slack like that.”
The top five teams and top 15 individual finishers move on to next week’s Region I meet. Click here for complete results from Milestat.com.
Below are two videos – one of Carley Shannon’s fast start and the other of the boys’ finish – from Thursday’s races, followed by results. The top five teams and 15 individuals move on to next week’s Region I meet.
RESULTS
BOYS
Team
1. Lafayette 35
2. Jamestown 66
3. New Kent 103
4. York 110
5. Tabb 143
6. Warhill 144
7. Grafton 177
8. Smithfield 189
9. Poquoson 220
10. Bruton 263
Individual (Top 15)
1. Jason Menzies, Lafayette, 16:25.7
2. Austin Savage, New Kent, 16:26.6
3. Kurtis Steck, Lafayette, 16:40
4. Baron Kieffer, Tabb, 16:41.6
5. Christopher Crowder, Jamestown, 16:49.3
6. Andrew Loper, Lafayette, 16:56.8
7. Andrew Richards, Jamestown, 17:10.9
8. James Sabin, Warhill, 17:15.9
Dawson Connell, York, 17:18.4
10. Mack Casey, Poquoson, 17:20.6
11. Michael Connell, Jamestown, 17:24.6
12. Derek Holdsworth, Lafayette, 17:28.7
13. James Hart, Lafayette, 17:31.5
14. Severin J. Blenkush, Tabb, 17:32.8
15. Max Weidman, York, 17:33.3
GIRLS
Team
1. Grafton 26
2. Jamestown 71
3. Lafayette 102
4. York 123
5. Warhill 130
6. Bruton 136
7. Smithfield 155
8. Tabb 192
9. New Kent 222
Poquoson 254
Individual
1. Carley Shannon, Bruton, 19:27
2. Nicole Goff, Grafton, 19:57.6
3. Hope Bloxom, Grafton, 20:07.8
4. Rachel Rabbitt, Grafton, 20:12.4
5. Tia Mearns, Jamestown, 20:22.6
6. Miriam Buscher, Warhill, 20:41.9
7. Katie McGovern, Grafton, 21:05.6
8. Adriana Hooks, Lafayette, 21:10.8
9. Sarah Jeon, Lafayette, 21:13.5
10. Risa Grandon, Grafton, 21.12.2
11. Cassidy Clements, York, 21:30.7
12. Kristie Robles, York, 21:32.4
13. Camille Freeman, Poquoson, 21:32.7
14. Haley Simonsen, Jamestown, 21:39.4
15. Lindsey Blanks, Tabb, 21:41.7
