PVC XC championships

2011 results

Video

Photos by Rollie Jacobs

Jenkins, E. Graf take PVC XC championships

By Kevin Spradlin

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, W.Va., Oct. 12, 2011 – Heather Jenkins took advantage of a Washington team running without its top two runners at full strength to win the Potomac Valley Conference cross country championship on Wednesday at Sam Michaels Park.

The Musselman junior and Brittany Pollard, a Hedgesville junior, duked it out over the first half of the muddy 3-mile course. A steady rain fell for more than an hour before the race to make every foot, especially the gradual downhills, especially slick.

Jenkins outdistanced Pollard over the final 200 meters around the perimeter of the baseball outfield fence to win in 19 minutes, 58.9 seconds. Pollard took second in 20:06.1 while fellow Hedgesville junior Fallen Stone took a distant third in 21:00.4.

Vivian Ruiz repeated as Washington’s top runner – but it was rather unusual to see her away from the lead pack. She was already several seconds off the pace of Jenkins at Pollard at the halfway mark. There, it was Jenkins, Pollard, Stone and Ruiz. The four maintained the same order all the way to the finish line. The race was contested without the Patriots’ Destiny Harrison, who won at Sam Michaels Park on Sept. 28 in 21:13.3.

It wasn’t nearly as close in the boys’ race. Jefferson senior Eric Graf led wire to wire to win in 15:54.8, challenging the course record of 15:35.9 set on Sept. 29 last year by former Cougar Brandon Doughty. It was Graf’s fastest time on the course since that same race. There, Graf placed second to Doughty and finished in 15:58.1.

Little brother Ryan Graf was the first of the next three Cougars inside a 16-second span, followed by Andrew Milliron (16:40.2) and Sam Munnis (16:43.2).

Martinsburg senior Nic Bauer broke up Jefferson’s bid for a perfect score by placing fifth overall in 16:47.3. But Cougar freshman Zack Wiberg closed out the team’s scoring by taking sixth in 17:20.1.

Jefferson is a favorite to defend the boys’ team title at next week’s Class AAA Region II championship at Hampshire High School on Oct. 20. The Cougars currently are ranked second in their division by RunWV.com, behind only Cabell Midland in Ona. Incidentally, Cabell Midland hosts the state championship on Oct. 29.

Jefferson also has four runners inside RunWV.com’s runner rankings – both Graf brothers (Eric 2nd, Ryan 8th), Milliron 13th and Munnis 14th.

Interesting to note: Jefferson sophomore Jackson Jacobs crushed the competition to win the JV race in 17:43. Had he run on the varsity squad on Wednesday, Jacobs the effort would have put Jacobs  32.3 seconds ahead of the team’s No. 6 runner.