Williamsport's pack is a winning hand

September 11, 2005|By ANDREW MASON

BOONSBORO

The Williamsport girls cross country team wasn't bluffing at the 28th annual Frank Keyser Invitational on Saturday morning.

"It's like a poker thing, having five good cards in your hand," Williamsport coach Randy Buchman said.

Laura Forsythe was an ace. The senior placed ninth overall, covering the 3-mile course in 20 minutes, 35.9 seconds, to lead the Wildcats to the team title. Right behind her were teammates Theresa Ruland (12th, 20:39.5), Jordan Atha (18th, 20:59.2), Meghann Weaver (19th, 21:03.6) and Makenna Hardy (20th, 21:18.7) as Williamsport edged runner-up Liberty 70-85 in the 16-school field.

"We ran as a pack. It's the power of the pack," said Buchman, whose girls were the Maryland Class 1A state runners-up last season and state champs in 2002 and '03. "This is huge for us. This is a quality meet, and, as far as I know, we've never won it before."

Potomac Falls' Kiersten Petersen ran away with the individual title in 18:46.0. Jefferson's Tara Franklin finished a distant second in 20:01.3.

Other area runners in the top 10 were Jefferson's Alyssa Thurston (fifth, 20:31.3), Boonsboro's Hayley Harnett (sixth, 20:31.9) and Frederick's Inna Potekhina (10th, 20:37.9).

Gaithersburg's Ryan Janes won the boys race in 15:54.1, and Potomac Falls easily beat Beall 60-122 for the team title in the 18-school field.

Thomas Johnson's Dan Beveridge was the top area finisher, placing third in 16:17.5. Jefferson, led by freshman Cory Hampshire's seventh-place finish in 16:27.9, was the top area team, taking fifth with 152 points.

North Hagerstown senior Hemu Arumugam - The Herald-Mail's All-Area Boys Runner of Year each of the past two seasons - was fifth in 16:24.2.

"I knew there were going to be some people up there, but I thought I'd be a little closer," Arumugam said. "The one good thing is that I know I can still improve."

Middletown's Brandon Boyer was sixth in 16:26.0 and Musselman's Matt Rouzer was 10th in 16:40.9.

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