Boys 6th, Girls 8th in Virginia Independent Schools cross country championships

Bishop Ireton’s cross country teams finished the 2011 season with a 6th place boys finish and an 8th place girls finish in the Virginia Independent Schools Division I cross country meet at Woodberry Forest School last Saturday.

Senior Liam O’Connor capped off a great season campaign with a 7th place finish in a time of 17:14.6 to lead the boys’ team while Katie Necochea again paced the girls varsity with a 21:18.88 time, good for a 22d place finish.

Trinity Episcopal School raced away to the state championship on the boys side with 39 points, host Woodberry Forest was a distant second with 121. Collegiate School, Bishop O’Connell, Potomac School, Bishop Ireton, St Christopher’s, PVI, Episcopal, and St Stephens/St Agnes rounded out the top 10 teams, with the Panthers edging Ireton 172 – 176 for 5th place.

Jack Leyden was 18th in a time of 17:51.23, Nick Manzek was close behind in 25th place at 18:09.16, Conor Pearson grabbed 54th at 18:46, while Michael Logrande (19:32) and Stephen Washington (19:55) rounded out the scoring for the Cardinals in the 20 team field.

Necochea again set the standard in the girls varsity race followed by freshman Kaitlin Luzik in 49th place in a time of 22:45, Alex Georgi in 59th in 23:05, Natalie Irwin in 23:26, Catherine Babiec 23:31, Aubrey Gartlan 23:33 and Mary Johnson close behind in 23:38 to round out the scoring for the 8th place Cardinals in the group of 15 division I schools.

Bishop O’Connell edged St Catherine’s of Richmond 50-58 to win the state championship, Episcopal was third, PVI, Trinity Episcopal, St Anne’s Belfield, Bishop Sullivan, Bishop Ireton,  St Stephens, and Liberty Christian Academy rounded out the top 10 finishers in the senior division.

Coach Brad Byrnes’  cross country teams season end with this meet, but indoor track picks up for the Cardinals with Coach Mark Holmes anxious to see the runners back in action in December.