Pats run wild at Panorama

By Mark Lorenzoni
Published: October 11, 2008

For years, cross country fans have yearned for a “State Open Championship”, where Group A, AA, AAA and private schools come together in the same race to decide who truly is the best in Virginia. Anyone who was lucky enough to be out at Panorama Farms for the Albemarle Invitational on Saturday afternoon witnessed the next best thing.

Led by fourth-place finisher Luke Noble, who scored a personal best of 16:11, the Albemarle boys were a mere three points behind team champions Colonial Forge, and Western Albemarle was only three more points back.

The Warriors were led by the efforts of Tyler Stutzman, who took home the individual title with a blistering 15:28, and Kyle Satterwhite, who pushed Stutzman for most of the race before yielding to his teammate with a 15:42 finish. Fellow Warrior James Howard-Smith finished 10th.

“I was very pleased with our team today,” said Western coach Lindy Bain. “[Stutzman’s] time was one of the fastest ever run over this tough course and to be this competitive with some of the best teams in the state this late in the season makes me happy.”

The host team’s coach was equally pleased with his squad’s performance.

“This was one of our best team efforts of the season,” said Albemarle coach Buz Male, who saw four of his runners place in the top 40. “We have come a long way as a team in the past few weeks.”

Louisa County’s Thomas Baker finished sixth in 16:16. Other area standouts were Fork Union’s Patrick Hayes (14th place, 16:32) and Caleb Haney (39th, 17:39), Madison County’s Kenny Loehr (41st, 17:20), Charlottesville’s Shaim Abdul-Satar (45th, 17:26) and Woodberry Forest’s Arthur Bryant (47th, 17:28).

Albemarle finished seventh on the girls side despite the absence of All-State workhorse Liz Barclay, who is nursing a severe ankle injury.

“I am so impressed with the performance of the girls. They really stepped up in Liz’s absence today,” said Patriots coach Lance Weisend. “I have never in all my years of coaching had such an impressive pack in such a big meet.”

Weisend’s team was led by sophomore Elizabeth Sinclair (47th-20:44), who led four other Patriots (Ana Sophie Bjorquil, Mason Wood, Summer Sheperd and Rachel Hopkins) into the chutes. The group was separated by a mere 18 seconds.

Blacksburg totaled 59 points to win the girls meet. Ocean Lakes senior Stacey Nobles finished first in 18:46.

Western Albemarle finished ninth, 21 points behind the Patriots. Sophomore Clair Johnson finished 19th in 19:52. Five seconds back was fellow Jefferson District competitor Holly Rich from Monticello, who also had one of her best efforts of the season.

Other top finishers were Louisa’s Hannah best (23rd, 20:08), Western’s Mattie Webb (30th, 20:23) and Katie Farina (51st, 20:49), Madison’s Ashley Sealander (61st, 21:02), Monticello’s Madeline Hermsmeier (72nd, 21:11) and Covenant’s Brittany Murphy (76th, 21:24).