Skyline boys runners soar into state meet

By Tommy Keeler Jr. -- tkeeler@nvdaily.com

EARLYSVILLE -- Mike Tanner was practically speechless.

The Skyline coach went into this season with a young squad and didn't want to expect too much from his team. As the season has gone on, he has had to change his goals for his boys team -- now he has to change them again. The Hawks placed two runners in the top 10 and finished second as a team in the Region II boys meet at Panorama Farms on Tuesday. The top four teams and top 15 individuals in both the boys and girls races advance to the Group AA state meet on Nov. 14.

"This is quite an accomplishment for Skyline," Tanner said. "I've been coaching for seven, eight years now, and I coached the girls at Warren County and we had a few individuals go, but I've never had a team go to states. It's something I've been looking forward to for a long time and it's come to fruition."

The Hawks were led by freshman Thomas Madden (sixth, 16:50) and sophomore Clay Jones (ninth, 16:57).

The boys race was won by Loudoun County's Tommy Curtin (16:08), followed by Handley's Tom Delaney (16:20) and Warren County's Seamus O'Reilly (16:39).

Delaney passed O'Reilly in the last 800 meters of the race, and said he probably let Curtin get too far ahead of him.

"I knew he was going to race that way. He loves taking it out and just hammering the race from the beginning," Delaney said. "I didn't think he was going to pull away that much, but that's probably my bad. You live and learn. He only beat me by 12 seconds, and that margin can be made up."

The Judges finished fifth as a team with 156 points, just four points behind fourth-place Monticello. Potomac Falls won the boys meet with 69 points, followed by Skyline (93) and Brentsville (122).

"It's a real heartbreaker," Delaney said. "You just train all since June and it comes down to this. It stinks because you work so hard and to get that close and not make it. The best thing you can do is just get ready for next year."

The girls race was won by Brentsville (64 points), followed by Western Albemarle (71), Potomac Falls (88) and Loudoun County (96). Millbrook finished fifth with 125 points.

The Pioneers still have two runners going to the state meet on the girls' side. Millbrook senior Tammy Cheung finished third in the girls race with a time of 19:15. Brentsville's Allison Bartels won the race in 18:58, followed by Loudoun County's Julie Strange (19:03).

"I just wanted to place top five today and I did that," Cheung said. "The first mile, there was a huge pack and so I just wanted to stay with them. After the first mile, we kept going downhill. That's when everyone started separating, and I took my chance and I held on to it."

Cheung's teammate Crystal Nelson finished seventh (19:42) in the meet. The sophomore started out strong and actually led after the first mile.

"When I heard the first mile time, I knew I was going a little fast," Nelson said. "I tried to keep the pace -- of course I was tired, but I tried to keep going. [Bartels] passed me right before the two-mile marker. I tried to hold on. I tried to stay with them. It was tough, but I definitely tried."

Warren County freshman Kayla Gibbons also had a great race, finishing eighth (19:51).

"I'm happy with how I did," Gibbons said. "I like it better when it's like 91 degrees. It was a little cool today. I'm excited to be going to states, and hopefully I can get a good time and medal."

James Wood senior Rachel Carson (10th, 19:56) and Handley sophomore Britani Myers (12th, 20:04) also qualified for the state meet.

In the boys race, the area was well represented with five of the top six in the race. O'Reilly was in second place throughout much of the race, but the heat got to him. He passed out after the race, and even missed the award ceremony due to being treated for dehydration.

Warren County coach Jeremy Burnworth said he expects him to be better and ready to go for the state meet.

"He dehydrated real bad at about two-and-a-quarter miles -- from there on, he was gassed," Burnworth said. "Today's heat got him. He wasn't hydrated properly in the last couple days. He wasn't prepared for the heat and [it] hit him pretty hard.

"If it's cooler weather, I think that next time [if] he positions himself like that he has a real good chance at top couple at states. You can't ask for anything more. He gave 100 percent and positioned himself for the win. That's what counts."

Millbrook's Ryan Farnan finished fourth in a time of 16:47, while James Wood's David Pugh was fifth (16:49).

"I felt great. I just went out and I wanted to put myself in the top 15, which I did," Farnan said. "That third mile I was dying, but I just said to myself, 'I got to push myself harder. I gotta make it through.'"

The Hawks came up just short to Handley last week in the Northwestern District meet, and Tanner said that probably motivated his squad. Now the Hawks will prepare for states with yet another new goal.

"Our goal was just to qualify, and to finish second against all these great teams is great," Tanner said. "Now we're looking to go to states and placing. We're looking to make a mark next Saturday."