Photo by Mike Piotrowski
Who was the top girls runner of the fourth week of the 2019 cross country season? Vote below!
While 2019 graduate Anna Coffin is in college, Annapolis has yet another top runner step in to take her place this year. Senior Katie Ericson has begun her season with three top-ten performances, which included a runner-up effort in the large school race at Bull Run on September 21 and a third-place finish at the Chesapeake Invitational on Saturday. Her 19:24 time was a 44-second personal best in the 5K and is currently the tenth-fastest time in the state.
The Walter Johnson girls had not one, but two race winners at Saturday's DCXC Invitational. Shortly before senior Jenna Goldberg clocked the fastest time of the day, it was Ella Gaul who held off Holton-Arms' Natalie Desarbo in the junior race. It was the fifth-fastest time of the day at DCXC and helped the Wildcats finish as the second-best team in the merged results.
Photo by Craig Amoss
Out in Williamsport, another junior was picking up her second win of the season. Winters Mill's Kathryn Hopkins ran away from the rest of the field at the Wildcat Invitational, as her 20:29 final time was 50 seconds ahead of the next finisher. It was not quite a personal best effort from Hopkins, although her 20:01 time from the Rebel Invitational on September 14 does rank among the top 30 times in the state.
Finally, this past weekend saw the first two freshman girls in the state break the 20-minute barrier. Key's Storrie Kulynych-Irvin ran 18:30 in a win at the Chesapeake Invitational, and Middletown's Erin McQuitty joined this exclusive group with a 19:41 effort at the Carlisle Invitational in Pennsylvania. It's also the fastest time in Frederick County so far this year, and only South Carroll's Grace Siehler has a faster time among 2A competitors.
