Cross Country

Like father, like son: Matt Shriver will keep things running. Shriver, 23, was named Williamsport High School's new head cross country coach Wednesday. He is the oldest son of longtime Smithsburg track and cross country coach Ray Shriver. “Hopefully I can be as successful as he's been. He's had a big impact in the area,” Matt Shriver said. “A lot of what I know I learned from him.” Shriver takes over for Randy Buchman, who was at the helm of the Williamsport cross country program for 13 years.

The Boonsboro High School boys and girls cross country teams won the Maryland 1A state championships Saturday. It was the first championship for the boys team, and the victory came down to one point.  The girls garnered their first state championship since 1995. Parents of the teams are proud of the efforts of every runner, and are appreciative of the efforts of coaches Becky Walters and Shawn Cutsail. Oyster dinner Rohrersville Ruritan Club will hold an all-you-can-eat oyster, ham and turkey dinner Saturday from 1:30 to 5 p.m. at the Old School Building.

Saturday, November 10, 2012 COLLEGE X-COUNTRY INA, Ill. - The Hagerstown Community College men's team finished 14th out of 35 complete teams at the 2012 NJCAA Division I national championships on Saturday at Rend Lake College. The Hawks finished with 452 points. Central Arizona won the title with 51 points, led by individual champion Tod Jackson, who won the 8K race in 25 minutes, 45.5 seconds. Brandon Horning (51st, 27:36.5), Stephen Starliper (55th, 27:41.3), Kenton Grossnickle (121st, 28:43.4)

While Boonsboro hasn't won a girls cross country title since 1995, and its boys never have placed higher than second, the Warriors might have the runners to contend for both Maryland Class 1A championships this fall. One thing's for sure, Boonsboro indeed has runners - a program-record 51 of them (25 girls and 26 boys). “There's a lot of bodies working hard,” Warriors coach Becky Walter said. The Boonsboro girls return four of their top seven runners from last year's team that won the Washington County title and finished second at states, including senior Sarah Zielinski, junior Kortney Cunningham and sophomore Ella Hawkins, who took three of the top six places at the county championships last fall.

"'This is where the season begins. All the other meets we had were warmups,'" North Hagerstown cross country coach Lindsay Zerance said she told her team before the MVAL Antietam Conference championships. "'The fun times are over. Now it's time to get serious.'" Apparently those words didn't fall on deaf ears. The North girls were all business at their last two races, capturing team titles at the MVAL Antietam meet on Oct. 16 and the Washington County championships last week.

BOYS Hemu Arumugam So. North Hagerstown Runner of the Year Washington County and MVAL Antietam Conference champ; placed third in Maryland Class 2A West and sixth at states.   John Coconis Sr. Middletown Placed fourth at both Maryland Class 2A state and West region meets.   Devin Hewitt Sr. Williamsport Maryland Class 1A state and West region runner-up.

Sarah Zielinski tends to smile while she's running. Now that the Boonsboro senior is a state cross country champion, maybe she finally is happy. Zielinski is The Herald-Mail's Washington County Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year for the third straight year. She earned the honor this season by winning her third straight county title, her second straight Class 1A West region title and her first Maryland 1A state title, while leading the Boonsboro girls to team titles at all three of those championship meets.

The Williamsport boys cross country team scored another season-opening victory, winning the small-school team title at the Interstate Classic for the third straight year. The Wildcats topped the field of 16 schools with 54 points. St. Maria Goretti was second (80) and Catoctin was third (92). “This was a more worthy one - more teams, better competition,” Williamsport coach Randy Buchman said. Williamsport placed seven runners in the top 30, including five in the top 20 and three in the top 10, in the varsity field of 120. Cody Bowman led the way, covering Clear Spring's 3-mile course in 17:08.8 to place fifth, while Emory Rowland was seventh (17:33.6)

The Boonsboro boys and girls cross country teams both won Maryland Class 1A state titles last month, as the Warriors became the first program in Washington County history to win two team titles in the same year at the state cross country meet. So what's the trick to Boonsboro's success? “I can't give away that secret,” Warriors coach Becky Walter said with a laugh. But there are no secrets to success. Winning takes hard work and dedication. “The kids show up every day ready to work, and they don't complain,” Walter said.

Cross country gets spotlight Thursday On Thursday, area cross country will take center stage with five regional meets set to determine which teams and individuals will advance to the Maryland championships. Clear Spring, Williamsport, Boonsboro, South Hagerstown and Smithsburg will all make the drive up Interstate 68 to Allegany Comminuty College for the Class 1A West meet, beginning at 3 p.m.. Catoctin and host Brunswick will compete in the 1A Central meet beginning at 3:30.

It might seem like Boonsboro senior Josh Testa came out of nowhere in indoor track this year. In some ways, he did - just ask the Williamsport Wildcats. Testa overcame a seemingly insurmountable deficit on the final lap of the 800-meter run at the Washington County championships on Jan. 18 as he edged Williamsport's Cody Grams at the finish line for the victory. It was a four-point swing in a meet Boonsboro ultimately won by three points, 154-151, over the heavily favored Wildcats.

For the first time in decades, St. Maria Goretti will have a varsity outdoor track and field program this spring. “The interest level of our students to add a track program has been significant,” said David Blenckstone, Goretti's athletic director. “With the recent success of our cross country program, both in student participation and in competition, adding a track team in the spring is a natural for our students and school community.” The Gaels will be coached by Mike Spinnler, who also coaches Goretti's boys and girls cross country teams.

Like father, like son: Matt Shriver will keep things running. Shriver, 23, was named Williamsport High School's new head cross country coach Wednesday. He is the oldest son of longtime Smithsburg track and cross country coach Ray Shriver. “Hopefully I can be as successful as he's been. He's had a big impact in the area,” Matt Shriver said. “A lot of what I know I learned from him.” Shriver takes over for Randy Buchman, who was at the helm of the Williamsport cross country program for 13 years.

An indoor marathon is a unique event. Laurie Dymond is a unique woman. The 47-year-old mother of three from Chambersburg, Pa., was the top female finisher Monday at the first Hawk Indoor Marathon at Hagerstown Community College. Dymond completed 211 laps of HCC's 200-meter indoor track - or 26.2 miles - in 3 hours, 20 minutes and 23 seconds. Her time was a world indoor marathon record for masters (40-and-older) women. The previous record was 3:22:24, set in 2011 by Antje Muller of Germany.

If Williamsport cross country coach Randy Buchman could count on anyone this fall, it was Wildcats senior Cody Bowman. “He's a model of consistency, the same kid every day at practice, happy to be there and pleased to do what he's asked to do,” Buchman said. “He loves cross country, loves running and loves competing. “You always knew you were going to get a good race out of him. He's a very, very tough kid. You knew he had some aches and pains, like all runners do, but he never talked about them.

The Boonsboro boys and girls cross country teams both won Maryland Class 1A state titles last month, as the Warriors became the first program in Washington County history to win two team titles in the same year at the state cross country meet. So what's the trick to Boonsboro's success? “I can't give away that secret,” Warriors coach Becky Walter said with a laugh. But there are no secrets to success. Winning takes hard work and dedication. “The kids show up every day ready to work, and they don't complain,” Walter said.

Sarah Zielinski tends to smile while she's running. Now that the Boonsboro senior is a state cross country champion, maybe she finally is happy. Zielinski is The Herald-Mail's Washington County Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year for the third straight year. She earned the honor this season by winning her third straight county title, her second straight Class 1A West region title and her first Maryland 1A state title, while leading the Boonsboro girls to team titles at all three of those championship meets.

St. Maria Goretti senior Kevin Proctor has no problem staying busy throughout the year - especially the last two years. It is likely that Proctor is the first Gaels athlete to compete in four sports during the school year - and may be one of the first in all Washington County schools. “I love all the sports I play,” Proctor said before he prepared for a recent Goretti basketball practice. For the second year, Proctor is competing in basketball, baseball, soccer and cross country at Goretti.

The Boonsboro High School boys and girls cross country teams won the Maryland 1A state championships Saturday. It was the first championship for the boys team, and the victory came down to one point.  The girls garnered their first state championship since 1995. Parents of the teams are proud of the efforts of every runner, and are appreciative of the efforts of coaches Becky Walters and Shawn Cutsail. Oyster dinner Rohrersville Ruritan Club will hold an all-you-can-eat oyster, ham and turkey dinner Saturday from 1:30 to 5 p.m. at the Old School Building.

Saturday, November 10, 2012 COLLEGE X-COUNTRY INA, Ill. - The Hagerstown Community College men's team finished 14th out of 35 complete teams at the 2012 NJCAA Division I national championships on Saturday at Rend Lake College. The Hawks finished with 452 points. Central Arizona won the title with 51 points, led by individual champion Tod Jackson, who won the 8K race in 25 minutes, 45.5 seconds. Brandon Horning (51st, 27:36.5), Stephen Starliper (55th, 27:41.3), Kenton Grossnickle (121st, 28:43.4)