Don Swiger Invitational - Hampshire High School XC

Phillips, Bauer race to Don Swiger Invite wins

RESULTS: Boys Varsity Girls Varsity Combined JV
* Photos by TriStateRunnur

ROMNEY, W.Va., Sept. 24, 2011 Rachel Lipps and Sarah Burkett are, by their own admission, best friends.

So it might not really matter who beats who in any given high school cross country race. The goal, they both agree, is how high their Hampshire Trojans place in the team standings.

With a second-place showing on Saturday in Romney at the 5th annual Don Swiger Invitational, Lipps and Burkett and the rest of the Trojans realized there is plenty of work to do if the team is to repeat as West Virginia Class AAA Region II champions.

After all, Saturday was on the second time in five years that host Hampshire has not won the girls' team title. Jefferson earned that honor in 2007, the event's inaugural year.

There were signs of improvement, however. Lipps, who finished second among 53 runners, stopped the clock in 20 minutes, 15.7 seconds. The time is 26.6 seconds faster than what she posted this same time, same course, last year when she placed fifth.

Burkett's improvement was more impressive. The senior chopped off one minute and 46 seconds off last year's 10th-place effort to take third overall. She ran 20;23.3 on Saturday compared to 22:19.5 in 2010.

Lipps and Burkett have traded the top spot on the Trojans' roster throughout the early part of the season. To each runner, who finishes first doesn't really matter. Both have their eyes on a higher team goal later this season.

Burkett said she wants to be ready for regions. Lipps was a bit more blunt. She's training for that date, as well, "so we can kick some butt there, too.