Photo by Craig Amoss
The fourth annual Hood College Invitational featured over 30 teams from around the entire state on Saturday. Despite being a relatively young meet it has already earned a reputation as one of the bigger and better races in the state with a favorable course that can lead to some fast mid-season times. These were the top moments of the 2017 Hood College Invitational.
Northern Girls Edge South River As Newcomers Step Up
The Northern girls lost a bit of depth following last season's 3A state title run but still looked very much the team to beat once again early this season. However had it not been for a pair of newcomers the Patriots would have fallen to South River on Saturday at Hood College. Freshman Abby Setzfand (17th) and senior Alyssa Tatum (26th) were the teams fourth and fifth finishers and helped back up another strong showing from the team's formidable top three. With contributions coming from around the roster the Patriots could be tough to knock off as the defending 3A state champions this fall.
Belmaggio Picks Up Second Win Of The Season
Linganore junior Michael Belmaggio won his second major invitational of the 2017 season on Saturday as he dipped under 16 minutes in the 5K for the first time in his career. It was a dominant performance for Belmaggio, as he crossed the line almost thirty seconds ahead of the next Maryland finisher (South River's Sam Keeny, who finished third). After finishing tenth at last year's 3A state championships Belmaggio is looking like a true contender this season as his time of 15:55.20 is now the fifth-fastest in the state. The Lancers also won the team title and could emerge as one of the top teams in the 3A classification as the season progresses.
Freshmen Abound In Girls Varsity Race
Six of the top twenty girls finishers at Saturday's meet were freshmen: Makenzie Hopkins (Winters Mill), Bronwyn Patterson (South River), Maria Grafov (Mt. Hebron), Ava Schrand (South River), Abby Setzfand (Northern) and Sofia Piccone (Bayard Rustin (PA)). In contrast, the top freshman on the boys' side was Calvert Hall's Spencer Doyle who finished 26th. Six of the top ten 5K freshman times in the state came from the Hood College Invitational on Saturday.
