Nike Videos

Individual Awards
Boys Open Race
Ciera Interview
Championship Race Footage
The candy canes had the announcer fooled. Adam was announced as Sam Robinson (poser).

Adam Visokay Advances to Portland

Senior Captain Adam Visokay placed second overall at the Nike Southeast Regionals Saturday, and qualified to advance to the National Championships on the Nike Campus in Portland, OR on Saturday December 3rd. His time of 15:08 shaved a full eight seconds off his PR, and is now the sixth fastest time ever run by a high school student athlete on the Cary, NC course. Adam's 15:16 at the Great American XC Festival earlier in the season is still among the top 20 all-time finishes. Adam will fly out to Portland Thursday, for an all-expense paid trip to the west coast. Congratulations Adam, on an incredible year, and best wishes on Saturday.

More posts to follow this week, including links for the live video feed of the National Championship race, and mid-race updates from Adam's timing chip.

Daily Progress Article

Nike Southeast Regionals Championship

The AHS boys team finished fourth at the Nike SE Regional Championships in Cary, NC Saturday. Led by Senior Captain Adam Visokay's second place finish, the team greatly improved upon their 21st place finish last year. Ryan Thomas and Ben Deal were both under 16 minutes with times of 15:50.0 and 15:54.20. Chris Springer ran a 16:31.20, and Will Hunt rounded out the scoring with a 16:59.90. Zach Gentry (17:34.70) and Aaron Elder (17:43.40) finished 6-7 for the team. The team average of 16:05.12 was a second and a half better than the third place team. AHS was predicted to finish 6th or seventh in the most competitive field ever at the SE Regional. The fourth place finish put them in the running for an at-large bid to the finals. Congrats to the team, and to Senior Will Hunt for breaking 17 on his last race.

Nike SE Regionals Open Race

The Varsity B team took a respectible 14th place in the Open Boys race. This was the largest race of the day, and the squad finished with a season best spread of 26 seconds. David Kwiatkowski lead the group with a 17:35.50 finish. Guillome Bailey and Rowen Perry finished with 17:40.10 and 17:41.60 respectively. Senior Captain Zach Coffman broke 18 with a 17:54.70. Sam Gillespie and Alex Levine came across in 18:01.00 and 18:11.90. For Guillome, Rowen, Zach and Alex this race concludes their AHS XC careers.

Team Stats

The full roster with the race results from the whole season has been uploaded to google docs. Click on the link to access:
Team Stats

Photos From Nike

At the link you will find an album of photos from the Open Race, Championship Race and the award ceremony for the Nike Southeast Regionals:
Nike SE Regionals Photos

Final Ragged Mountain Poll

The cross country season nears the end with the final Ragged Mountain Central Virginia XC Poll. Thanks go out to Alec Lorenzoni for coordinating, compiling and publishing the Poll. Thanks also to the Daily Progress for annually promoting the sport of XC.

Photo by Sabrina Schaeffer/Daily Progress



The All-Central Virginia Boys XC Team for 2011 features five AHS runners.
All-Central VA Boys Team
The final Poll:
November 22 RM Poll

Photo by Sabrina Schaeffer/Daily Progress

Adam Visokay was selected Boys XC Runner of the Year:
XC Runner of the Year

Finally, Alec wrote a wonderful article for the Progress talking about the great season area teams and runners had in 2011.
Special Season

Mark Lorenzoni is Awesome

Mark has contributed so much to the Charlottesville running community. Here is his take on the State Meet:

On Saturday morning at The Great Meadows steeplechase course outside Warrenton, Lindy Bain’s Western squad and Buz Male’s Albemarle boys both finished runner-up in their respective divisions at the VHSL State Championships. It was the highest finish in school history for the Patriots as their front runners had one awesome showing. Amazingly they actually placed their first three guys (Adam Visokay third, Ben Deal ninth and Ryan Thomas 10th) ahead of Stafford’s first runner but, alas, the beauty of cross country is that all five count. So by the time all of their runners were in, Albemarle was a mere 20 points down. It was both heartbreaking and incredibly impressive at the same time for Male and his mighty squad. They’ve had a season for the ages as they were led by the talented, steady and ever modest Visokay at every single meet. They only lost to one Virginia school, that being Stafford, all season long and they finished standing on the highest Group AAA tier ever at the State podium! Male’s legacy is simply amazing as he has left an indelible mark at every school he’s coached over the past 35 years and this group of really great guys is most certainly one of his finest squads. These young harriers have so much to be proud.

Here is the link to the full post:
Daily Run Blog
And here is Mark's podcast covering the same race (worth a listen, as always):
11/17 Runcast

SouthEast Rankings

ESPN Rise has ranked Albemarle seventh in the SE Region for the upcoming meet in Cary.
Regional Rankings

Slideshow From the Banquet

From Scott Smith's email:
These were mostly all shot by Fred Smyth, Mary Clare Smith and myself during the season. Audrey Lorenzoni also provided a few from the Cup.
Thanks to all the coaches, runners, and families connected to this amazing team -- what a memorable season it has been!

Banquet Photos

Great Quote

Olympian Michael Stember, in a Let's Run (link on sidebar) interview - bold font is my edit:

I played soccer at a top competitive level for 15 years and was a starting point guard at Jesuit. I could dunk a basketball my freshman year in High School at 5'9". (Jesuit sports teams are often ranked in the top 5 nationally, so the athletic environment was a hotbed for fierce competition. Our soccer team is currently ranked #1 in the US.) So running track was tertiary, and it took some lobbying by our athletic department and Coach Lange to convince me that I should dump other sports I knew I could compete in at the college level to pursue the nerdiest endeavor of them all - Cross Country. Not only was it the nerdiest gig on one of the most talented sports campuses in the country but it proved to be the most difficult, a true test of will and pain tolerance, without the luxury of the stadium, the gym, the crowds, or the cheerleaders. It proved to be the best decision I ever made athletically, setting up a record breaking 4:04 1,600-meter State Championship 8 months later, earning me a full scholarship to Stanford, but never assume that running a fast mile for a speedy athlete translates to a fast 5k.

Schedule Through Cary

Tuesday  11/15      Stop by Field House and then go to Panorama. Easy
distance (45-50 minutes)

Wed.       11/16      Everybody go to Towe Park for distance run. Top
5 have "Poll pictures" and Alex has to be there so run 30-40 min
                            at Towe Park.

Thur.        11/17      Hard Run @ Ridge rd.    After LL, run a
progressive warm-up for 3 miles and then hard for 4th and next two
(2),(2).                         then stair step cool down...mod. easy
to very easy for last mile.

                             8 TOTAL  (5 Easy 3 very hard).  This is
the hard w/o Alec will be at VT.   Make SURE TO STRETCH AFTER.

Fri.          11/18        OFF  BANQUET @ 5:30pm @ Doubletree.

Sat.         11/19       Sleep in if possible       ROO  45 minutes EASY

Sun.         11/20      ROO  35-40 minutes  and 3 striders

Mon.         11/21      800 @ 2:30...400 RECOVERY...400 @ 70...400
RECOVERY....200 @ 32-33.
                              2 mile warm-up and 2 mile cool down. If
in town @ AHS together. If away do it on your own.

Tue            11/22      ROO   30 minutes Easy

Wed.          11/23     OFF REST

Thur.           11/24     ROO Easy 30 minutes

Fri.              11/25     Meet @ Nike course in Cary, NC at 2pm.

Sat.             11/26     Westward HO!!   Race of your lifetime.

Miscellaneous

Milestat has posted the video of the AAA boys race, but it does take a subscription to view. Additionally, there are tons of photos posted. You can see the thumbnails without a subscription, but cannot enlarge your selection.
The print copy of the just released edition of Scrimmage Play has a very nice article about the AHS boys XC team. This article is not available online. The magazine is free.
I will be eliminating the Yahoo Group in the coming days, and chalking it up as an unsuccessful experiment.
XC Banquet is this Friday night, 5:30 @ the Doubletree.

More Photos

Thanks to the Krohns for sharing these albums from the last couple meets:
Krohn States
Krohn Photos from Milestat Invite
Krohn Photos from Albemarle Invite

Race Photos

Finish line photos are courtesy of Fred Smyth. You can click on the photos to enlarge.

Senior Captain Adam Visokay

Senior Captain Ben Deal

Sophmore Ryan Thomas



Senior Chris Springer



Junior Aaron Elder

Senior Will Hunt

Junior Joe Krohn

Press Coverage

Here is the Daily Progress article covering the VHSL State Championships:
Daily Progress Article

And here is the article from the Fredericksburg Star:
Fredericksburg Star Article

Congratulations Patriots!

The AHS boys took second at the State Championship meet, to cap off a stellar VHSL season. Congratulations to the top seven, the coaches, and the entire team that contributed to the great success of the program!

Individually, three members of the team earned All-State honors, with a top fifteen overall performance. Adam Visokay, Ben Deal and Ryan Thomas finished third, ninth and tenth respectively. Congrats also to those young men.

Photos From States

Fred Smyth has again shared his collection of photos from the State Championship meet. Much thanks!
Smyth Photos From States

Here are the photos that I took:
Thomas Photos From States

Ragged Mountain Poll

Here is the link to the latest Ragged Mountain Central Virginia Cross Country Poll:
November 10 Ragged Mountain Poll

Advance Tickets For States

Last year as a States newbie, I purchased the online tickets from the VHSL. Last year's website said you could avoid the lines and enter through the pass gate. What I found was that, in relation to where we were directed to park, the pass gate was on the other side of the complex. We waited in line with those making cash ticket purchases, e-tickets accepted there too. No real advantage that I could see to purchasing beforehand, except it was a credit/debit card purchase instead of cash. The good parking fills up early, so don't be late. The online site does allow you to contribute an extra dollar to support the VHSL (as if going up two bucks on the ticket price doesn't already help the cause). Anyway, here is the link, if you are so inclined (make sure your printer has ink- lesson learned):
Advance E-Tickets

Gonna Need Some Help Saturday

The rules for spectators on the course are severe - if caught, team disqualification. So my photos will be limited to what I can get from the rail, along the approach to the finish. Obviously, the award ceremony will be documented pretty well. I ask that anyone with race photos please share them with the blog. I know I will appreciate it, as will the folks that don't make the trek to The Plains. Thanks in advance.

Great Meadow Fly-over

If you do not have a subscription to Milestat (and you should consider it) to view the walkthrough linked in the post below, here is a link to the Google Earth flyover of the course:
State Championship Course

Here is the course layout:

Great Meadow State Course Video Tour

http://va.milesplit.com/discussion/topics/91747

You do need to be a subscriber to see this but again, highly recommend the subscription.  This is on the milestat discussion page, scroll down a page or so and find the discussion called Great Meadow State Course Video Tour.

Go Patriots!

State Meet Info

GENERAL REGULATIONS AND INFORMATION
2011 VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
PLACE: Great Meadow, The Plains, VA
DATE: Saturday, November 12, 2011
MEET CO-DIRECTORS: Dave Davis, Mountain View High School
Ken Wall, Freedom High School (South Riding)
Derek Farrey, Tuscarora High School
TIME SCHEDULE
10:00am……………………………..Coach’s Meeting (Group AA)
10:30am……………………………..Group AA Girls
11:15am……………………………..Group AA Boys
11:30am……………………………..Coach’s Meeting (Group AAA)
11:45am……………………………..Group AAA Girls
12:30pm……………………………..Group AAA Boys
12:30pm……………………………..Coach’s Meeting (Group A)
1:00pm………………………………Group AGirls
1:45pm………………………………Group A Boys
2:15pm………………………………Awards Ceremony
Admission: $10.00
RULES AND SCORING: Cross Country section of the National Federation Edition of the Track and Field
Rule Book (2010-2011) Scoring (Rule 9- Section 2)
Coaches will not be permitted in the finish line area or chip return area.
NO SPECTATORS ALLOWED ON THE COURSE, MOST OF THE COURSE IS
VISIBLE FROM VIEWING AREA, BUT BINOCULARS ARE HELPFUL. Violation of this
rule will prompt disqualification of a school’s participants. Coaches shall inform their athletes to turn in their chip
before exiting the finish line area.
CHIP TIMING: We will be using Run High for chip timing and scoring the meet. Finish Lynx Cameras will be set up at
the finish line. There will also be a finish line judge to call close finishes.
UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT: Participants are required to wear a school issued uniform top and bottom.
Participants must attach their bib number to the front of their uniform. The VHSL will provide bib numbers for each
participant. Running shoes or spikes must be worn during the competition. Participants may were one wristwatch.
Participants may not wear LIVESTRONG bracelets or other jewelry. No Earrings allowed to be worn during the
competition. No Hats or bandannas. Sweat bands are permitted.
ENTRY: Regional Directors need to follow the directions provided for hy-tek entries and also e-mail the Region
Directors report (typed) to the VHSL, Dave Davis, and Derek Farrey. The meet directors should collect state entry
forms from each school that qualifies or has individuals that qualify for the state meet.
TEAM PACKETS: Available the day of the meet only. Packets may be picked up at the pavilion. Packets
will include a course map, bib number, Hy-tek entry sheet, race chips to be attached to both shoes, a time schedule,
and coach’s meeting agenda.
EXPENSES: All expenses for travel, meals, and lodging must be provided by the competing school.
LODGING: Each coach is responsible for making his own hotel reservations. A list of hotels and motels in the
Warrenton-Manassas area are enclosed.
TENTS: Must be erected behind the house. No tents are allowed on the hill.
DRESSING AREA: There will be no dressing area provided. Portable restrooms will be provided.
AWARDS: Team and individual awards will be presented at the Pavilion. Athletes and coaches should listen for
a P.A. announcement as to the exact time awards will be presented.
SCHOOL AND INDIVIDUAL QUALIFYING LIMITS: The A, AA and AAA Boys and Girls shall
be limited to the top four teams from each region and the top 15 individuals from each regional meet.
STATE CROSS-COUNTRY T-SHIRTS & SWEATSHIRTS: T-Shirts (crew neck, short, & long
sleeve) and sweatshirts will be available in a variety of styles. Martin Screen Print will be there on Friday and
Saturday.
DIRECTIONS: From the east or west ---take I-66 to Exit 31 (Rt. 245-2miles)
From south---take US Rt.17 or US Rt. 29 North to Warrenton, continue north
on US Rt. 17, approx. 8 miles. Great Meadow will be on the right

Election Day - Vote For AHS XC

On the Discussion page of Milestat, Brandon Miles has started several polls pertaining to the State XC Championship. If you are a subscriber to Milestat, you may vote for who you think will win the State title, both individually and team. So, on this Election Day, get out and vote!

Not Just Harriers

The following series of pictures are from Tom Pajewski's website (link on the sidebar). These were taken at the AHS football game Friday night, when the District Championship team was honored on the field. Ben and Rowen were having a little fun...

Photos by Tom Pajewski

Happy Halloween

Alright, so I am a week late. Ben Deal took the time to carve an AHS XC pumpkin, and it looks awesome.

Team Honored at Football Game

The AHS Boys XC team was honored at the home football game Friday night, for winning the Commonwealth District Championship.

Schedule

FROM BUZ:
Here's the scoop for the next 10 days:

Today (fri. 11/4) @ PF. Finish between 5:30-5:45pm
Saturday Rest Day (SAT's for some).
Sunday 35-40 minutes EASY ROO
Monday TBD
Tuesday Meet @ AHS at Noon to go to Great Meadow to run the course.
Return to AHS between 4:45-5:00pm
Wed. OFF (Rest)
Thur @ PF's easy "shake and bake" fin @ 5:30pm
Friday Leave AHS @ Noon . Staying @ Hampton INN in Warrenton
Details to come next week.

Saturday : Ciera Ulan will race @ 11:45am and the Boys Team @ 12:30pm

Awards for AAA take place after our races and not at the end of the days races.
We will probably eat lunch in Warrenton and return to
C'ville by about 4:30- 5:00pm.
If you are a UVA football fan you will only be missing the Duke game.
We play them every year and the State Meet is never an automatic.
Besides, who likes Duke?
I am attaching a document with State Meet Info. parking is $ 10 so carpool !

Sunday ROO

Monday will be practice at PF for the 10 that are on the State Meet
"team" and any of those who are either SENIORS or who plan to race in
Cary,NC on 11/26.

Regionals Videos

Thanks go out to Alison Visokay for posting these videos from yesterday's meet:
Start of Race

Middle of Race

Finish Line

Awards

Regionals Press Coverage

Here is the link to the Daily Progress article about the Northwest Regionals:
Daily Progress Coverage
And here is the coverage from Scrimmage Play:
Scrimmage Play Coverage
And an obviously geographically biased version of events from the Fredericksburg Star:
Fredericksburg Star Coverage

More Photos From Regionals

Here is the link to Fred Smyth's photo album of the Regional Championships:
Fred Smyth's Photos
And here is Scott Smith's photo album of Regionals:
Scott Smith's Photos

Thanks to both gentlemen for taking and sharing these great photos.

Northwest Regionals

The AHS Boys XC took second in the Northwest Regionals, held at Panorama Farms. District rival Stafford won by 20 points over the home team. Individually, three AHS runners earned All-Regional honors, with Adam Visokay taking the Championship in 15:53. Ryan Thomas placed second with a 15:58, and Ben Deal rounded out the All- Regional team with a 13th place 16:33 effort. The team will have a chance for revenge at next Saturday's State meet. Go Patriots!

Roster Page Update

The Roster has been updated with today's Regional Championship results. Full results on the sidebar.

Regional Finish

Photos From Regionals

Here is the link to the photos of the Northwest Regionals:
NW Regionals

Ragged Mountain Poll

The November 3 Ragged Mountain Central Virginia XC Poll is available online:
11/3 Ragged Mountain Poll

Roster Page Update

The roster has now been updated to include the results of Districts - both the Varsity race and the Open race.

District Coverage

Better a little late than never, here is the link to the Fredericksburg Star's coverage of the Commonwealth District XC Championships:
Star's Coverage of Districts