Brunswick High School hosted the 2021 Brunswick Cross Country Invitational in their own backyard on Saturday, Sept. 4. Athletes from 20 different schools participated in the meet, but there was one team in particular that stood out. James Wood High School differentiated themselves from the rest of the pack by dominating their competitors in almost every race.
(Ethan Aidam finishes as the first place winner of the boys varsity race)
For the boys varsity race, two James Wood teammates went 2-3. Senior Nathaniel Woshner placed second with a time of 16:41.86 and his sophomore teammate Ethan Pratt-Perez followed closely behind with a time of 16:43.81. However, it was Oakland Mills' Ethan Aidam that placed first with a time of 16:27.97, which granted him a lead of almost 15 seconds. Ultimately, the 2-3 duo helped give James Wood the team win with a score of 51 points, followed by Linganore (92 points) and Poolesville (122 points).
The boys junior varsity race produced a much different outcome for the James Wood team. Gov. Thomas Johnson's Jonathan Regules finished first with a time of 19:50.39. Behind him was Oakdale's David Tressler with a time of 20:01.45. The third place finisher was Tuscarora's Eli Johnson with a time of 20:13.65. Johnson went on to lead his team to victory as Tuscarora scored 53 points. The runner-ups were Poolesville (66 points) and Gov. Thomas Johnson (93 points).
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(Caroline Gregory finishes as the first place winner of the girls varsity race)
Despite not winning the boys junior varsity race, the James Wood team was able to carry out two more consecutive team wins for the girls races. For the girls varsity race, Frederick's Caroline Gregory finished first with a time of 19:47.00. Behind her was James Wood's Lauren Beatty with a time of 20:00.79. Third was Poolesville's Daisy B. Dastrup with a time of 20:02.63. Overall, James Wood scored the highest as a team with a total of 62 points. Second was Linganore (87 points) and third was Frederick (120 points).
(The James Wood girls celebrate their win)
For the girls junior varsity race, the James Wood girls swept the race by taking up the first five spots. Junior Quetzali Angel-Perez finished first with a time of 23:18.34, sophomore Sarah Moss finished second with a time of 23:38.52, and freshman Kallie Gyurisin finished third with a time of 23:54.78. Fourth was Kimberly Saupp (24:07.33) and fifth was Kaitlin Combs (24:14.31). The team placed first with a score of 15 points, followed by Oakdale (61 points) and Glenelg (89 points).
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