Photo by Don Rich
Who was the top boys runner of the fourth week of the 2019 cross country season? Vote below!
The Linganore boys have benefited greatly from the arrival of freshman Cole Williamson who was their top runner at this weekend's Carlisle Invitational in Pennsylvania. Williamson joined John Carroll's Nick Singleakis and Dulaney's Tyler Dailey as the only freshmen to have broken 17 minutes in the 5K so far this fall. He will be one of the runners to watch going forward in Frederick County this fall.
Williamson wasn't the only freshman with a standout performance on Saturday. Fellow Frederick County freshman Alexander Contreras of Catoctin finished 12th in the Varsity D race at the Six Flags Safari Invitational in New Jersey. His 17:15 time ranks just behind Williamson as the fourth-fastest freshman time in the state. The two star freshmen will get to go head-to-head at the county meet on October 18.
Rounding out the poll are a pair of well-established seniors. Huntingtown's Conor McGirr turned in a second-place effort at the Chesapeake Invitational on Saturday. McGirr's 16:04 5K time was the tenth-fastest in the state, second fastest by a 3A runner, top time by a SMAC runner and a Huntingtown High School record.
Finally, Walter Johnson senior Jacob Marks was the state's top runner at the DCXC Invitational on Saturday. Marks finished fifth in the senior boys race, and his 16:24 time was the seventh-fastest on the day. Impressively, it wasn't a personal best as Marks already ran 16:15 in a county meet earlier this month. Marks will be a key for a Walter Johnson team that could compete for a top spot at the Montgomery County Championships in a few weeks.