Photo by Brandon Miles
Who was the top girls runner of the second week of the 2019 cross country season? Vote below!
Jenna Goldberg was one of many top Maryland girls to make the trip down to Oatlands on Saturday. The Walter Johnson senior came through the mile mark in 16th place and moved up from there, eventually crossing the line in fourth. Her 18:25 mark is the second-fastest in the state this season behind only Juliette Whittaker who finished seconds ahead of her.
The Flowers girls had another strong performance Saturday led by senior Javon Watts. She also made some history as she won the Prince George's County Invitational for the fourth time in four years. Watts broke 20:00 for the first time and her 19:50 effort is the fastest by a county runner since 2011.
Stephanie Costello (right) and teammate Madison Palmer finish Saturday's race. (Photo by Matthew Hazdic)
The Broadneck girls made their season debut on Saturday at the Howard County Invitational and they did not disappoint. The fourth-ranked team in the state dominated the team battle, placing six runners in the top 11. Their sixth runner, Stephanie Costello, was the top freshman in the field, and her 19:56 time is the third-fastest three mile time among freshmen this season.
It was unclear who the favorite was at Saturday's Barnhart Invitational but Hereford's Caroline Benda left no doubt as to who the top runner in the field was. Benda pulled away from the field about halfway through the race and never looked back - her 19:08 time was nearly 30 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Her younger sister Meghan also had a great day. She won the JV race in a freshman state-leading 20:38.
It hasn't taken long for Smithsburg junior Daylie Younker to adjust to the cross country course. She has placed fourth in each of her first two invites of the season, running 20:56 at the Rebel Invitational this season. Younker could quickly become a runner to watch in the 1A classification this fall.
