VOTE: Who Was the Week Three Girls Runner of the Week?

Photo by Craig Amoss

Who was the top girls runner of the third week of the 2019 cross country season? Vote below!

Three weeks, three major races and Juliette Whittaker has yet to lose to a fellow Maryland competitor. This past weekend featured a rematch with Northern's Oakley Olson, this time at Bull Run. Whittaker had no problem navigating the Hereford course, pulling away in the second half of the race and crossing the line in 18:26. It's the fifth-fastest time on the post-2013 Hereford course (it was fourth-fastest for a few hours, until our next runner toed the line in the small school race).

There weren't too many fast times run during the afternoon session at Bull Run once the course warmed up on an unusually warm late September sun, but somebody forgot to tell Key School freshman Storrie Kulynych-Irvin. She ran an 18:05 last fall at the MileStat Invitational, and now she's firmly in the state spotlight. Her 18:24 performance passed Whittaker's earlier run for the fourth-fastest time on the modern Hereford course.

Kulynych-Irvin wasn't the only freshman with an impressive performance at Hereford on Saturday. The Howard girls won their second straight race against the defending state champions from Severna Park, and freshman Ella Werdell played a big role. The Lions' fourth finisher was the second-fastest freshman at Saturday's meet (behind Kulynych-Irvin) and her emergence as a regular scorer has helped them seize (and retain) the #1 ranking in the state this fall.

And finally, Kent Island have themselves a solid 1-2 punch with two cross country newcomers. Senior Charlotte Kratovil-Lavelle led the team at each of their two meets this season, but freshman Reese Delp has been right behind. Delp finished second to her teammate at the Rumble in the Jungle on Wednesday, and then placed 12th in the large school girls race at Bull Run. Her 21:15 time was the fourth-fastest by a freshman behind Kulynych-Irvin, Werdell and Hereford's Meghan Benda.