Blazers lock horns with the bull

SEPT. 30, HEREFORD H.S.-

The Lady Blazers placed tenth out of fourteen teams in the elite girls' race, and the boys finished eighteenth out of twenty-eight teams at the Bull Run Invitational Saturday morning.

Senior twins Halsey and Ashlyn Sinclair aided the Lady Blazers with top ten finishes, placing second in 19:25 and eighth in 20:10 respectively. Seniors Emmanuel Waktola, who finished thirty-ninth with a time of 18:27, and Tuynh Nguyen, who finished sixty-third in 18:51, paced the boys.

Bull Run Invitational is run at Hereford High School, and is the same course used for the Maryland state meet. Made up almost exclusively of rolling hills, Bull Run is considered the toughest cross-country course in Maryland, even though it is only three miles long as opposed to the standard five kilometers. One section of the course, referred to simply as "The Dip," leads runners down a massive hill only to have them charge up an equally steep hill with no break in between. Despite the challenging course, many Blazers improved personal records.

Co-captain Waktola was pleased with the team's results, and commended his teammates for a job well done on the difficult course. "Blair exceeded expectations on the hardest course in the state," said Waktola. "I ran conservatively but I still got a good time, and I think the same goes for my fellow teammates."

Coach Carl Lewin stressed that even though Bull Run is only three miles, times are comparable to 5k times because of the difficulty level of the course. He believed that the Blazers pushed themselves and reaped the benefits. "I think the team ran magnificently. Everyone showed real heart and pushed themselves further when the pain started setting in," said Lewin.

Coach Angelique Bosse said that today's results show what the Blazers are capable of achieving this season. However, runners must continue their dedication to coming to practice, because as first quarter begins to wrap up is when people traditionally start focusing more on academics and schoolwork. "This time of year, people start to get other priorities. It's a tough time of year, going into the end of the season."

Bosse also expressed faith in the Blazers' ability to return to the Hereford course at the end of the season for the state meet. "How we do at the regional meet will determine [whether the Blazers advance to the state meet]. I think it's definitely a possibility for both teams."