Jefferson's Boys Are Champs

Oakton Is 2nd In Girls' Race

In the steamy days of August, it seemed unlikely that this Jefferson boys' cross-country team could compare to the school's Virginia AAA title squads of 2002 and 2004.

The Colonials' top runner, Brian Landry, was nursing a knee injury and there was enough youth on the team to temper 11th-year coach Matt Ryan's expectations.

Yesterday at Great Meadow, however, the Colonials (91 points) exceeded those expectations, edging Midlothian by 10 points for the state title. In the girls' AAA race, Midlothian held off Oakton.

Landry aggravated a knee injury and missed the Colonials' opening meet, in which Jefferson ran poorly and lost. Ryan cut back on Landry's training, and he spent two to three days a week cross-training in a pool. He returned to racing in mid-September.

Then came a surprise, as sophomore Brian Davenport, who didn't even run track last spring, emerged as a talent. Each meet this year, he finished a place higher for the team.

Yesterday, Davenport crossed the line on the heels of teammate Evan Heflin, placing third on his team, 18th in the state and only four seconds from all-state honors. Thanks to Davenport's effort and Landry's fourth-place finish, the Colonials ran off with the trophy.

"I wasn't expecting it at all," Davenport said.

"It would've been naive to expect this much from him," Ryan said.

Jason Witt of Midlothian won in 15 minutes 10.92 seconds. Landry completed the five-kilometer course in 15:28.7.

For a year and half, Landry's sole focus had been that 15 minutes and change. He missed last year's championship with the knee injury. "This week I've been insane. I holed myself up in my room, did my homework and slept," Landry said.

In the boys' AA race, Brentsville entered in less than ideal shape. Robbie Cronaeur had left school Wednesday, dizzy and vomiting. Grant Burress raced with a nagging Achilles' injury. It didn't get better when the race began -- Luke Watts was cramping in the first mile.

Their best runner, senior Ray Delgado, had an off day. But he finished strong, elbowing past another runner to secure an extra point for his team.

Every point mattered, as Brentsville beat Western Albermarle by four points and Jamestown by seven points.

"To have all those things occur and still pull it together is a tribute to them," Coach Rob Dulin said. "They're a bunch of overachievers."

In the girls' AAA race, Oakton placed second to Midlothian, despite not having a runner finish in the top 15.

"It's that pack mentality," Oakton Coach Phil Tiller said. A week ago, Oakton finished fourth at regionals, while missing one of its top runners. Chantilly junior Lia DiValentin nearly won the race, but was edged by Midlothian sophomore Kathleen Lautzenhe, who finished in 17:56.41 seconds. Lake Braddock finished fourth.

Champs Again: Clarke County's girls' team won the A title, Coach Nancy Specht's fourth straight title. The boys' team finished second to Radford.

New Citizen: Herndon runner Hiruni Wijayaratne, who finished seventh in the AAA race, became an American citizen yesterday, along with her mother, father and brother. She was born in Sri Lanka and lived in Australia before moving to the United States seven years ago.